


Always Together, Eternally Apart

by Bisabis



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Ladyhawke - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-12
Updated: 2016-04-11
Packaged: 2018-05-13 09:32:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 24,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5702812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bisabis/pseuds/Bisabis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave is a common thief. He escapes certain death in the prisons of the city of Felt and manages to fall right into the jaws of the adventure of a lifetime. He meets up with an ex-captain of the guard and his hawk companion, who is shrouded in mystery in himself, who wants nothing but to return to Felt and complete a life-or-death mission.<br/>But wait, who's that beautiful woman and her wolf partner who appear in front of him every night? What do they have to do with anything? Why does the Religious Overlord need to die? And why is Dave trying so hard to stay?<br/>(Now with art by sunset-opal from Tumblr!)<br/>[this is loosely based off of the movie "Ladyhawke (1985)" because you all know I love my crossovers]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> This prelude is a spoiler if you haven't seen the movie. If you don't care, then carry on!

Jane of Crockerton was a little curvier than most, since her family owned a bakery. She was also very beautiful of face despite the corrective lenses. Her figure had made her desirable in her small town, for she was kind as she was beautiful. Everything changed when the plague hit. The bakery was forced to shut down, but it was too late as it claimed her parents.

She ended up in the city of Felt, where she stayed with her cousin, a blacksmith by trade. She received every kind of attention, and all but one she deemed unnecessary.

* * *

The captain of the guard came regularly. He was handsome, with pale hair and exotic colored eyes, but it did not distract him from his duties. It distracted everyone around him. It seemed that they all wanted to be attached to the one Dirk Strider of Corazón. He was on a routine visit to the blacksmith for repairs when he saw her.

Her dark hair and bright blue eyes first caught his attention. Then her voice when she spoke. She was helping her cousin around the store in bulky protective gear, which did not satiate his need to speak with her.

* * *

She was intimidated at first, but he quickly became her only friend outside of her cousin. First began the smallest of talks, then the biggest of dreams. Weeks passing found them in a mutual courtship.

When out in the square, they dared not to interact farther than conversation. They had snuck touches and grazes whenever possible, reserving lithe glances and the more sensual caresses for the shadows.

* * *

Attention waned from both sides. The neighborhood had left them alone.

But one did not.

The city’s religious overlord, a vain and severe-faced man who held a high position in the church, had had his eye on her as well. He had sent her letters and poems, which she returned unopened and unread.

* * *

She dared not write a reply, for fear that the consequences would mean death for her beloved.

Despite this, they continued their affairs in secrecy, fear preventing them from expressing more than a few words.

However, in a moment of weakness, they had embraced for the first time in front of the smith shop.

It spelled the beginning of the end.

* * *

The overlord, whose name was Caliborn of Felt, had heard from an unintended informant that the two were lovers. This made him furious. In his lust, he had descended into brutal madness and decided that if he could not have her, no one would. He turned to the dark arts, and sent a curse upon them. He turned away from his Entity, starting a slow descent into a quiet insanity.

* * *

Jane did not understand what was happening to her. just a moment before, she had been ready to fully confess her feelings for Dirk. He had arrived late bearing dreadful news: he had been discharged and warranted for an immediate arrest. He had fought his way out of his own home, escaping with his family’s only heirloom and his faithful steed.

She suddenly felt her body aching all over. Dirk was visibly in a panic, but she found herself not understanding what he was saying. The world around her was growing and she lost the feeling in her limbs.

Finally, the world stopped changing and she found her senses sharper than she had ever experienced. Her movements were jerking, and she looked up at Dirk. She knew the name of this figure, and she had a certain loyalty to them. Why? They bent over her and made threatening gestures. She pecked at him to go away and he recoiled. She didn’t mean it and wished she could tell him. But then she spotted a bigger threat. She knew they were evil, and tried to fly away. Dirk began yelling, and she only recognized one word: Jane, Jane, Jane. Her instincts told her that was her name. She calmed her flapping and perched obediently on Dirk’s forearm. Dirk was stroking her head when the world started to get loud again. Dirk pulled out a large, shiny weapon and started to fight off the threat. She feared for her life and flew straight into a corner of the room, and blacked out.

When she awoke at sunset, she was in Dirk’s lap, who was sitting against a tree. She chirped and found it odd doing so. She was used to other forms of communication.

The sun set and she felt the aching again. Dirk began to shift to normal size now, and she began to get the feeling that something terrible has happened. She lightly shoved Dirk to wake him up, but when he opened his eyes, they were not human eyes.

They were the eyes of a wild animal.

* * *

Dirk saw the worry on Jane’s face grow to terror as his body felt like it was being pulled like ropes pulling boats ashore. He resisted, but it was for naught. He saw the girl in front of him and the feelings inside him became rampant. He stood on all fours, and knew there was nothing standing between them anymore.

She was talking but he could only understand his name, which she whispered to him, a cautious hand reaching toward him. She moved slowly and deliberately, and he did not feel threatened. He felt the need to protect her. He also felt very warm.

He let her stroke his face and recalled the feeling of wanting it before. She moved on to the top of his head and his tail started wagging slowly. His hearing was heightened and he heard her breaths slow to a normal pace.

He smelled blood. He looked down to a pile of black clothes underneath him. The girl nudged him lightly and she grabbed the clothes and stuffed them into a nearby bag. Dirk followed her movements with his eyes, unmoving. She found a dark brown horse, which she called “Jacob,” and hoisted herself on it.

She beckoned and he followed.

 


	2. 1- Encounters

Dave grew up hungry. As a result, he became gangly and thin, but not very strong. He didn’t consider himself weak by any means, but he was for damn sure that he was getting out of this prison alive. Now, the tiny drain he crawled into was only about twelve inches wide, but he managed to contort himself through it.

He felt like he had gone twenty miles, but it was more like a hundred feet, talking to himself the entire way.

“Some situation you got yourself into this time, Dave. Now you’re in jail because some kid outed you while pickpocketing the religious overlord himself. Well serves him right for taking a shit without an entourage. Speaking of shit, this shit is nasty. I am not entirely unsure that I am crawling through literal shit right now. Shit. I’m becoming claustrophobic. Why? Someone told me I was being hung today that’s why. Fuck that noise.” He found himself at a dead end. “Well, shit. This is impossible.”

He sat there, debating whether to go back, when he decided to dig and see what happened. He expected to hit brick long before he was past his toes into the hole. At least he could dig a little wider than--

That’s when he felt air.

“Well, this is either a good thing or a bad thing. I have no idea where I’m going to pop up, and this air could be in the middle of a road or something. Or the house of the religious overlord himself. Hopefully he’ll be taking that shit and that entourage will be with him so I can get away this time.” He continued to dig toward the air, freedom imminent. He found himself in the underground sewers of the city of Felt. Dave let himself smile wryly. “Eat shit, Overlord Caliborn.” As soon as he got his chest free, he fell, plunging into the dark, murky waters. He came up for air and didn’t see a way out. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark shadow floating in the water. It looked like a crocodile.

He yelped and climbed to the nearest pillar, out of the water but barely holding on. 

“Okay, Entity, if you’re up there, it’s me. Dave. You know, the orphan? Well, I solemnly swear that I will never steal again if I live in the next few minutes. Granted, if I die then I have nothing to prove so...” A second one appeared. “Well it seems I have your attention now, but now I’m really begging here. Please find it in your busy heart to save my life today and I will get an honest-to-you job. Or even go into the clergy, shit I don’t know. Sorry.” They floated closer and closer with every word. “Look, if I live, then I’ll even talk to you. If you’re even there. I’d rather be crazy than dead.”

The two floating objects did not shudder, and they floated on by. They turned out to be the swollen bodies of two stray dogs. 

“Well, that’s not much better. Rest in peace, pooches.” He climbed down and followed the new sounds of voices coming from a lighted tunnel. It must lead to the surface. He climbed the rungs jutting from the walls towards the light and heard the voices better. They were singing. “Leading me right to you, Entity.” He got to the top and recognized the stained window in the ceiling. He was in the cathedral. No doubt the singing indicated the start of mass. He gripped the grate on the top and tried to pry it open, but it held fast. On one hand, the cathedral was surely a sign, but on the other, it proved that he didn’t go very far at all. He was only one building over from the prison. Right next door to it.

Suddenly, a small girl’s face filled the grate. “What are you doing down there?” she asked in a high pitched voice, as if she was talking to a small animal.

“Shh! Shut up!” Dave whispered. “Go away!”

“Come away from there!” a woman’s voice said, pulling the girl away. The girl whined and he didn’t see her again.

What he did see was a foot coming down on his fingers. He screamed and let go, falling into the water again. He opened his eyes and saw that a big hole had been torn into the underwater grate that separated the prison-slash-cathedral’s sewers from the rest of the world. Some other escapee must have done this. He ignored the skeleton on the other side.

Running out of air, he swam up to the bright spot on the surface that was surely the sun. If it wasn’t, he was going to have a serious talk with Entity.

He emerged, and the sweet air of life filled his lungs. “I’m never swimming again, now this I will swear.” He heard the bells tolling, which signified the escape of a prisoner, and kept swimming.

* * *

The captain of the guard was a sort of man that would not back down because he was too prideful to do so. He was smart and full of it. He did not mind being as powerful as he was. He took advantage of it all. But once in a while, he allowed himself to be knocked down a peg.

This was not one of those times.

A prisoner had escaped and he was sure to receive an earful from the religious overlord. The overlord was the only one who was allowed to knock his pride down. Not even his own wife had the privilege. 

He reported to the overlord that a prisoner had escaped on his watch. 

“It’d be a flubbin’ miracle if he escaped through the sewers and sur-wived,” he said, censoring himself.

“Sir Ampora, miracles are my job,” the overlord said. His voice wasn’t graceful, but it was charismatic.

Struggling to maintain his dignity in this trying time, Sir Eridan Ampora said, “It’s also only one thief.”

The overlord simply looked at him with a certain smugness, like he already found the thief and was already back in the prison. “A single match can start a forest fire. A loose screw can break down a well-oiled machine. Do I need to create more metaphors or can your mind not fathom what you cannot understand?” Eridan did not answer. “I am an emissary of the only true fathomless being on earth. If you value your salvation, you had better remember that.” Eridan knelt to kiss the overlord’s ring and went to retrieve his horse. He needs to confide in his men to catch the thief known as The Crow.

* * *

Although he was miles away from the city, Dirk heard the warning bells of Felt’s cathedral. They woke him up, even. He's been waiting four years for a sign from Entity, and this was it. This was his miracle.

He grabbed his clothes from his bag and saw that Hawk was already awake. She was almost always awake when he woke up. He wondered if she ever slept at night at all. He sighed and called for his horse, weapons already mounted to the saddle. As much as he wanted to get his mission over with, he had to be patient. 

He only sometimes went into town, since he had been on the run for a long time. He only did it when he was hungry enough. The forest only provided so much cover, and winter was a culprit. He avoided building a fire when the trees had so few leaves for cover. Not that he personally needed it. It was mainly for Jacob and Hawk. 

He rode until sunset before he came to a town that got regular news from the city. New wanted posters littered the streets and covered establishments advertising the newly escaped petty thief Dave “The Crow.” His picture was black and white save for his eyes, which some vandal had colored in bright red and devil horns. 

This was him. The man that Entity freed from prison. 

He asked a passerby if they had seen him and they said yes, that he stole their pie and ran off into the woods. 

Dirk thanked them and they grumbled about the plague. 

He hadn't considered that, but Entity surely would have known if this Crow would get the plague or not.

* * *

Dave didn't sleep well in the cold night. Wolf cries penetrated his sleep cycle and prevented dreams from forming. His first night free and still not really free to go into town. Morning came and he happened upon a group of nomads with clothes hanging on a line. He released the livestock as a distraction and waiting for the residents to burst from their tents to chase after them.

He went straight to the line and grabbed two tunics, two pairs of pants, and some boots. Two small girls stared at him, and he saluted as a soldier would as he passed by. 

“Okay so I said I wouldn't steal,” he said aloud, “but you know how weak willed I am.” He saw an unattended bag of (presumably) copper in one of the tents. “And considering they don't pay you in prison, I figure this is the last time I steal for a while.” He swiped the pouch. 

For three more days of sleepless and freezing nights, he stayed in the woods. He saved his money for the day when he figured he'd been forgotten. His goal was eventually to get to Alternirome and actually follow through with his desperate promise, but who said he couldn't take a few shortcuts? He had over 200 miles left to go and wanted to get there as soon as possible. He knew it was directly south from Felt, but that was it. Taking official travel means were out of the question. Maybe he could convince some merchant to take him. 

He saw a small village and headed to it. He was famished. 

He walked up to the outdoor bar first. Everyone was in some kind of cloak because of the weather. He wished he had one as well. 

“A drink of your finest brew, sir,” he announced.”

“Coin first,” the bartender droned. Dave showed him the pouch and he rolled his eyes. 

“The next round is on me to anyone who will share a toast with me!” 

A man’s voice from the back shouted, “What toast, friend?” 

“A toast of survival and skill. A toast of life to the needy. A toast, my friend, to someone who has cheated death and escaped from a dark place with the scars to prove it.”

Another voice. “I'll drink to that.” Dave blanched. He knew that voice. The bartender handed him the drink and he took a careful sip. 

“A poor soul who evaded his taxes then? Too broke to afford to live freely like the rest of us?” Dave was stalling. He needed to get out. He placed a coin on the counter. 

“I didn't say I was a prisoner.” The man removed his cloak. As did half of the bar. All were soldiers from Felt.

“Ain't that the oh-shit moment of the day,” Dave mumbled into his cup. 

“You can run, but you can—” 

Dave threw the rest of the booze into Captain Ampora’s face. He yelped and ordered his men to capture Dave. 

Dave was seized by the back of his tunic and he slammed his foot on the guard’s toes. He was released and someone else grabbed his arms from behind. He slipped out easily, nearly bending his arms backward doing so. It didn't hurt, it was just uncomfortable. He scrambled under the primitive deck and emerged another side when he saw a dead end. He batted some roaming chickens away and tried instead to climb above the deck while people fled the establishment. Dave kicked guards away as they ascended, but his capture was inevitable. He didn't think about how he'd get down. 

Trying to look unfazed, he called down to them, “Caw caw, motherfuckers.”

A guard had the brilliant idea of chopping at the beams holding up the roof and Dave stumbled to the ground, landing on his stomach and chest. He had the wind knocked out of him and he struggled to come up with something snarky to say before they snatched him up and slammed him against the nearest beam. Ironically, he got his breath back. 

“Any last words, Crow?” Ampora sneered. Another guard raised his sword to Dave’s throat. 

Dave didn't want the last words he spoke to be cut off before the punch line, so he chose the second best option. “By the Entity—”

He was cut off anyway by an arrow to the guard’s ribs.

He should have said the snarky line instead.

* * *

Everyone in the bar turned to Dirk. He was holding a double crossbow in his hand, with one arrow ready to shoot if necessary. He had no doubt that the man being held hostage by Sir Ampora was in fact Dave the Crow. The red eyes gave it away.

“You,” he said to Dave. Dirk gestured the crossbow to the side. “Get out.” Dave wasted no time running off. He’ll be picked up momentarily.

“You’re a fuckin’ idiot returning to this region,” Ampora said threateningly. “Now you just cost the overlord this thief.”

“What does he care about some thief?” Dirk had a feeling that it was all a part of the overlord’s ego. One escaped prisoner and his fragile pride falls apart. No matter. Dirk turned the crossbow back to Ampora. 

“What do  _ you  _ care about some thief?”

“Fair point.” Dirk drew his sword to defend himself from an encroaching enemy behind him. “Nice to see you too, Kanaya.” Kanaya softened her expression. If she was going to kill him, she would have already. She might be his only semi-ally here.

“Dirk,” she said with a coy smile. Her guard began to drop. 

He didn’t notice that Eridan had crept up behind him and shoved him, making the sword plunge into Kanaya’s abdomen. Dirk grimaced and immediately withdrew his sword from her, catching her and leading her to the ground gingerly. He watched as the light in her eyes dulled. He was going to have that prick’s head for that.

Dirk didn’t remember fighting and killing three other guards. He did remember a few plus Sir Ampora running after him as he called Jacob to escape on. He had other priorities. He caught a glimpse of the dirt-brown tunic Dave was wearing escaping into the adjacent apple orchard. Dirk caught up easily and snatched up the thief, hoisting him onto the horse, barely slowing down. He struggled, but it was nothing Dirk couldn’t handle.


	3. 2- Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2/2/16 UPDATE: ART BY http://raspberrychan.tumblr.com/  
> friend art is nice  
> also 2 more arts to come ^u^

Dave decided to stop struggling about two minutes later. He was tired and worn out from the sudden vigorous activity and no food for three days. At least he was given bread for breakfast in prison. His captor seemed to pick up on this and stopped to let Dave sit normally instead of bruising his ribcage against the hard saddle.

* * *

They had come upon a forest hours ago. Dirk headed straight for it to escape the village that been in the wide open plains. Autumn provided little cover for them, but it was leagues better than where they were.

“So I take it you're not going to sell me into slavery?” The Crow asked.

“Now, why would I do that?” Dirk asked.

“You obviously have no interest in simply killing me. And you can't be interested in the bounty or you would have turned me into those guards.”

“You're sharp. That's good. But no, not slavery. I need you for another reason.” 

“What reason is that?"

“We’re coming up on a farm. We will lodge here for tonight.”

“I don't see a—” he cut himself off.

Dirk could barely see it himself, but the smoke through the trees gave it away a mile ago. There was a woman gathering wood on the thin path to the shack of a house, who promptly called a man’s name at the sight of two strange men and a hawk on a horse.

She ran as soon as they get close, and a man approached from the woodwork.

“Go away!” the man shouted.

“We would like to lodge here,” Dirk said.

“We don't accept visitors.”

“We will pay for it, surely.”

Dave the Crow shook his pouch. Dirk wanted to hit him upside the head for that.

It got the attention of the man and the woman.

“You can stay in the stable,” the man said slowly. He gestured to the woman. “Go on.”

Everything about the scene set off every red flag in Dirk’s mind. They were going to have to be careful tonight.

They disembarked the horse and he set Hawk onto the bannister. She chirped happily, stretching out her wings and flapping.

“When night falls,” Dirk said, “do not disturb me.” He inspected the stable and saw a window big enough to climb through and nodded. “I'll sleep down here, you in the attic.” He turned back to Dave. “And Crow?”

“What?”

“Sleep with one eye open.”

* * *

For no reason at all, that line sent shivers down Dave’s spine.

“Go and gather some brush, you will need fire. But before that, take care of my horse.”

“Right, like I know the first thing about taking care of horses.”

“Relax, just take him to the bucket of water and brush out his coat and hair. It'll take a while so go.”

“Where's the—”

“Everything you need is in the saddle bag.”

“Right.”

He took the horse by its reins. “What's his—”

“His name is Jacob.”

“Jacob. Okay, Jacob let's go talk about this girl Leah, and her hot younger sister Rachel. Honestly it’s the only tale from my childhood that I actually remember, and you just happen to have the same name. So here goes: In the land of the vast desert known as the ‘Saharmful,’ there was this guy, probably about your master’s age, who liked this girl...”

* * *

Dirk shedded his cloak as soon as Dave left. There was some time before the sun was to set, and he made sure to send Dave away with enough chores to keep him busy long after. He saw that the light had turned yellow-orange around him. He turned to the window.  
“Soon,” he muttered.

* * *

Dave found himself babbling again.

“That guy reminds me of Sir Eridan in some ways. He has this air. I can't put my finger on it. It's like he exhumes this feeling of both confidence and stubbornness. Wait, not confidence. Shit, what's that word?”

It was dark as hell, and he almost couldn't see his own hand in front of his face.

“Fuck, it's dark. I wish I could see the sticks I'm supposed to be picking up.”

His bundle of sticks was shoddy, fifteen of them at best, and he was in a forest.

“Entity, I don't know what's going on in my life right now, but I know that this isn't what I want to do with it. I need a sign or somethi—”

He heard the snap of a twig.

“Hello!” Dave called. It didn't happen again. “Well whatever the case is with that guy… Wait a minute.” Clarity hit him like the entire planet Jupiter to the head. “Dirk Strider of Corazón.” He took a breath. He glanced to the farm, where the fire he built was lighting a path back. “Two criminals on the run. Well Entity, since I am going to go on the straight and narrow, it's probably not a good idea to keep up with him. So I'm not going to do it. Fuck this shit,” he threw down the sticks, “I'm out!” He traipsed away from the fire, because he was carrying everything of value to him, and headed into the night.

But not before he heard the howling of a wolf ahead of him.

He ran back to the fire, because wolves hate fire apparently, and nearly stumbled to get to the other side so he could see if it was chasing him. After a moment of silence, he sighed with relief.

Another twig snapped right behind him. He turned to see the farmer raising a scythe towards him like the grim reaper. Terrified, Dave screamed and ran for the barn, where Dirk was hopefully still awake.

It was the farmer's turn to scream. Dave looked back and saw a wolf attacking the farmer. It was a large black wolf with eyes that seemed to glow orange in the firelight.

“Wolf!” Dave shouted. He burst into where Dirk Strider was sleeping to find it empty. Dave instead found the crossbow and took it to the attic overlooking the whole property. “How in the fuck do you even load this thing? Okay hang on, the string first I think then the arrow? Or is it the arrow first—?”

A hand softly landed on his shoulder and he jumped, turning toward it. What he saw was the face of a beautiful woman with blue eyes and dark hair, wearing a black cloak not dissimilar to Dirk’s.

“Wh–wh–?” Dave stammered.

“It's okay,” she whispered. “He won't hurt you.” At that, she turned and went downstairs.

“W-wait! The wolf! And the farmer is dead!” he cried out pitifully. She would not stop. She looked back at him with a knowing glance. He looked out, legs still frozen in place, and saw the black wolf approach the woman like a pet would do its owner. It wasn't until she walked with it side-by-side did his legs start to function again. “Entity, I have seen some shit today. But nothing compares to what I just saw right now. This is all a dream, I would like to wake up now.” He closed his eyes and accounted to thirty. He opened them to the exact same scene as before. “Or maybe this is all just some hallucination.”

“You're dreaming,” the woman said from far away.

Dave decided he'd had enough of this whatever it was and pulled up the attic’s ladder so that no human nor animal could get to him. Exhausted, he fell asleep in the prickly hay.

* * *

Jane hadn't needed her corrective lenses in four years. Perhaps this is a side effect of her curse, to remind her that as long as she can see the world around her, she cannot see her beloved. As if she needed another reminder.

Dirk had certainly picked up a strange one. Usually, he wouldn't trust anybody. But it seemed that he changed his mind. He had left her a note saying that their prayers have been answered, and that soon he'll be able to kill the religious overlord. If she knew her curses, which she had casually studied before this even began, then simply killing the person would only make the curse more permanent. Dirk was patient enough, which is what she loved about him, but she could tell that this patience was wearing thin. Even her patience was wearing thin. She wanted to be rid of this curse as soon as possible, but if it wasn't done right then it could not be done at all. She had faith in him, and judging how their new ward acted under pressure, that faith in him held fast. 

Although, he did seem quite frightened by Dirk’s wolf form.

She spent the night with Dirk’s sword at her hilt, preferring to sleep under the stars next to the fire that Dave built. There was plenty of wood that he gathered, so she wouldn’t freeze to death. Winter was coming, after all.

Dirk nudged her hand with his snout and she sat down in front of the fire. Dirk curled up beside her and she stroked his fur for hours, comforted by the warmth. His deep breathing told her that he was asleep, but he had one eye open. She was grateful that even his wolf form retained his eye color.

“Soon,” she whispered into his fur before falling asleep herself.

* * *

Dave did dream that night. He dreamed of the woman. He dreamed of her smiling at him and dancing with him and shouting his name. Although she did those things, none of them seemed romantic. A man can dream, though, can’t he?

He awoke with a jolt and the cry of that hawk outside the door, sitting on the ladder he had pulled up. He realized that he still had the crossbow next to him. Dirk is going to be pissed. Not like he cared what Dirk liked or didn’t like, but let’s just say that Dave had an attachment to breathing.

He lowered the ladder with crossbow in hand to see Dirk waiting for him.

“Did you catch anything?” he asked sarcastically.

“I missed.”

“Did you retrieve the arrows then?”

“Didn't take you as the frugal sort.”

Dirk sighed. “I've already packed everything.”

“You're Dirk Strider of Corazón, aren't you?”

“Yes.”

“Why am I even here?”

“Give me the crossbow.”

“Why?”

“Because I need your help.”

“That explains everything.”

“Let's go.”

“Not before you—”

Dirk drew his sword.

“Alright! You win.” He handed Dirk the crossbow.

“Let's go.” Dirk mounted the horse.

Dave sighed exasperatedly and followed suit. Dirk lifted his arm. The hawk landed on it loyally.

He chose to think about that woman, still trying to discern if she was a dream or not. The farmer’s wife has emerged from the house then, and called out for her husband. A moment later, when they had cleared the property, he heard her scream.


	4. 3- Mistakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my favorite chapter so far. It's longer I think.

Sir Eridan Ampora took two days to ride back to the city alone. He had to report to the religious overlord immediately. Sentries awaited him with new horses as he made his nonstop journey. He arrived at the cathedral just before nightfall on the second day.

Religious Overlord Caliborn was, in Eridan’s opinion, the most self centered authority figure he had ever met. Even as he entered the private courtyard, freshly watered and green in this time of drought, the overlord was enjoying a performance by a bird-like solo dancer and her ensemble of female bards, feeding her like he would an animal.

Try as he might, Eridan could not stop judging the scene in front of him. The dancer stopped as soon as she noticed him.

“Any reason you have interrupted my intimate space?” Caliborn asked without turning around.

“Apologies, your grace, but I have information.”

Caliborn whipped towards him. “Surely you could have waited! You are unclean and unfit for my presence!” Proper procedure required Eridan to bathe before encroaching on sacred ground. Currently, he was covered in dust, his hair a rat’s nest, and his clothes torn from battle.

“Strider is back.”

Caliborn’s entire demeanor changed. He smiled a hateful grin and he beckoned Eridan to follow. He waved off the performers as they left, and they dispersed.

“I need more men. I lost half of the troop you sent to chase that thief.”

Caliborn did not speak until they were indoors. He often paced these halls to listen for the voice of the Entity. Or so Eridan thought. The feeling now was much more sinister.

“They are traveling together now. Should I raise the bounty—”

“No. That will only encourage chaos. I am not one to enforce chaos. I was sent here for order.” He was silent for a moment. “I have a better plan in mind. Focus on the thief. I will take care of Strider.” Before Eridan could retort and say that the plan wasn't logical, he said, “Bring me Makara the Rager.”

Eridan’s eyes widened with shock. Ragers are the most lethal assassins in the world, trained to not value human life unless they were being paid.

Caliborn motioned to kiss the signet ring and Eridan obliged.

“And Sir Ampora?”

“Your grace?”

“If you value your insignificant life, the hawk must not be harmed.”

Eridan nodded and went on his way. For once, he was glad he didn't have to go on a mission. However, he feared for whoever was to deal with the Rager.

* * *

Dave waited until nearly nightfall when they stopped to rest to talk about the dream that he still couldn't believe was real.

“I saw a girl last night.”

Dirk paused while tying up the horse, but only for one brief moment. “Did you?”

“She came to me while I was trying to shoot at the wolf who killed the farmer.”

“Is that what happened to him? I was wondering why I couldn't find him to pay him.” Dirk said it like it was a sudden realization. Like it explained everything. He stared at his hands and gripped them like he had done it himself, imaginary blood still on his hands.

“Which is totally impossible,” Dave muttered.

“Say again?”

“Nothing.”

Dave started gathering sticks and twigs for the fire. Some of the branches were too big, so he took the sword strapped to Jacob’s saddle and was about to chop them up when a strong hand gripped his arm.

“What the fuck do you think you're doing, Crow?” Dirk asked sternly.

“Chopping wood,” Dave answered matter-of-factly. “I've never seen you use it, so I figured it was junk.”

“This sword is all I have left of my home. I was driven out with only my life and my horse, so I would appreciate some respect to a family heirloom.”

“Family heirloom?” Dave stared at the orange-eyed man, then the sword. He noticed just then that it had jewels in the handle.

Dirk snatched the sword back and examined it. “Each of these jewels represents a generation in my family. The last empty slot is for me to fill.”

Dave frowned. “Sounds like a load of bull—”

“And for me get mine, I need to fill it with the gem of a ring. That ring belongs to a man that I need to kill.” Dirk turned back to Dave, his expression dark.

Dave leaned up against the nearest tree, wondering if it was him. But he had no ring so it couldn't possibly. “Who's the lucky corpse?”

“The Religious Overlord, Caliborn the First.”

Dave let it sink in for a moment. It took about two seconds to realize that Dirk needed Dave to get him back into the city.

Dave removed his hand. “No.”

“It has been my Entity-entitled mission to kill him. And I think he sent you to help me.”

“Uh…” Was all Dave could think of. He took a breath, held it, then said, “No offense, but I talk to Entity a lot now and he hasn't mentioned you.”

“No?” Dirk asked with the slightest quirk of his lip. This humor was the first emotion besides “stale” Dave had ever noticed about the ex-captain. The hint of that smile disappeared as quickly as it came.

“In any case, I think I'll head to Alternirome soon and become a member of the clergy,” Dave announced. He had actually planned to leave tonight, and was going to wait until Dirk fell asleep so he could make his escape. He used the tree to balance himself again, leaning up against it and crossing his arms. He thought he looked like he was making a point, being cool and decisive.

In a flash, the sword had lodged itself into the tree. Dave barely saw Dirk take a step. The sword itself wobbled back and forth for a few seconds before Dave saw that it was at the same level as his eyes.

He put his hand on it to stop the wobbling and said, “I am going to gather more wood now.” Hopefully Dirk wouldn't see the fear on Dave’s face as he turned to run.

* * *

Whenever Jane was hungry, she hunted. This was true when she was a hawk, and true when night fell and she was human again. She found a rabbit and had been stalking it for about an hour before a quail family spooked it and it took off.

She chased after it and muttered, “I remember this being so much easier.”

She finally cornered it in a bush. She laughed softly, her prey practically in her clutches.

“Excuse me!” called a voice.

She started, turning around and around, looking for the source. In her distraction, the rabbit escaped. She turned back to see its tail bobbing away and cursed.

“Up here!”

She looked up. The squinted because she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Dave the Crow was against a tree, his wrists tied behind it. Most likely work done by her own Dir Strider. Entertained, she chuckled and said, “Now what are you doing up there, Crow?”

“Well,” he said hesitantly, “it all started when the overlord’s men came while I was collecting firewood. It was an intense battle. I was winning when Ampora came from behind and kicked my knees. I went down swinging, I'll have you know. Anyway, the next thing I know, I'm tied to this tree with nothing but my life. My dignity has been stripped.”

Jane, not one to swallow anything without a grain of salt, asked, “Why didn't they kill you?”

He looked as if he hadn't thought of that. “Well they said that they'd rather have the overlord do it himself, something about pride.”

Jane could believe the “pride” part. The story she could not.

“I can tell by your silence that you don't believe me. But I shit you not, a vulture came swooping by and looked at me a few minutes ago and I don't want to be their next meal.”

Jane sighed, defeated by that argument. She unhooked a dagger from her belt and cut him loose.

Suddenly, a wolf howled and distracted her. She quickly turned toward it.

It turned out to be a mistake. She realized it too late when she heard retreating footsteps. She looked back at the tree and cursed again.

He was gone.

“Tell Strider that he ties a mean knot!” Dave yelled from far away.

Jane sighed. “He's going to kill me,” she mumbled.

Fortunately, she knew her way in the darkness, so she simply packed their meager things and tracked him on Jacob until dawn. She made sure to be no less than half an hour behind, so he wouldn’t hear the whinnying or hoofsteps. She did like the convenience of horses, and she didn’t mind Jacob, but she hated riding alone. And only sometimes did she feel that the beasts were counterproductive. She hoped the wolf’s cries didn’t give away her position.

She had to get off the horse when the tracks got fresher. She followed them to a tree where she found the Crow perched in it, asleep. She dusted her tracks away and returned to Jacob just before sunrise. Dirk would return any minute and she had to be ready.

* * *

Dave managed to evade the woman and her wolf for the rest of the night. He climbed down the tree at sunrise and realized he was only half a mile away from a nearby village. He headed toward it, but noticed a band of soldiers’ horses parked just outside of it. They must have been looking for him. He crouched by a bush and watched. He didn't see any of the soldiers about. They must have still been sleeping.

Suddenly, he felt an arm wrap itself around his neck and force one of his wrists behind his back.

“Gotcha!” the person said harshly. It wasn't a voice Dave recognized. Dave had gotten sloppy and was caught. The soldier forced Dave to walk to the town as they were.

“Captain, wake up!” the soldier shouted, kicking at the door of a home of some poor civilian family who had the unfortunate honor of lodging Ampora.

The door opened and Sir Ampora looked as if he was about to yell when his eyes landed on Dave.

“The Crow,” he said. He turned to the soldier and ordered, “Tie him up. Strider can't be far.”

“Like he’ll come for some thief,” Dave muttered a little too loudly.

“Shut up!” the soldier hissed, throttling him. And just like that, Dave was gagged and given iron bracelets around his back.

* * *

Dirk saw the village and figured the unmistakable tracks Dave made were heading toward it. At this hour, there were usually people roaming with their livestock. This was a town Dirk actually knew. As they edged closer to the city, he saw more and more towns and villages he recognized. This one was basically ransacked the first month after they were cursed. He would always regret letting soldiers punish the civilians for simply asking to stay.

He approached the homes cautiously. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw multiple horseshoe prints leading up the trail to the village. They hid the horses well.

* * *

Outside of the flimsy walls, Dave heard the unmistakable sounds of Jacob’s hooves (rather, the items in his saddle made a familiar series of sounds), and decided that it was time to make his move. He had been forced to ride with some unnamed soldier on his horse and hide in a civilian’s house.

He twisted his hands back and lifted them over his head, the chains they slapped on him spaced just enough that he could flip his arms around. He removed his gag and wrapped the chain around the soldier’s neck from behind. He made a gagging sound, but the soldier had kicked his horse, making it drop Dave and nearly trample him while on his way to breaking down the door.

“Sorry,” Dave said to the family crouching in the corner, watching the whole thing. Pursing his mouth, he looked out the door and saw chaos. "Damn it," he grumbled, then looked back and gave the family his pouch of copper he had hidden in his tunic. They looked at him like he was crazy before he escaped into the fray.

* * *

Dirk reacted immediately when he saw the soldier burst from a home, effectively destroying the door.

“Kill him!” Sir Eridan Ampora ordered from an open door.

What the fuck kind of cockamamie plan was this? Sure, it effectively hid the horses, but it wasn't very practical. In fact, it wasn't tactical, either. Dirk had never respected Eridan, but now he never will.

Dirk released Hawk and aimed the crossbow at the closest soldier, and an arrow sunk into his chest. He turned to the next soldier that had the balls to charge at him next and the second arrow struck his heart as well. He had very little time to reload, so he dropped the double crossbow and drew his sword.

* * *

Dave wanted to help, he truly did, but all he had was a chain connecting his wrists. He saw a horse-less soldier aiming a crossbow at Dirk.

“Fuck it,” he grumbled.

Dave snuck up on the soldier and flung the heavy chain over his head and around the soldier’s neck. He yelped and fired the crossbow into the air.

* * *

Dirk heard the unmistakable cry of a hawk. He looked up and saw an arrow piercing his.

“No!” Dirk shouted. He killed four more men before Sir Ampora yelled to retreat with three of them. He scrambled to put the sword in the scabbard on Jacob’s saddle and collected the crossbow.

Dirk was breathing hard when he found Hawk. He found Dave there too, an unlocked chain in his grip. His stomach churned when he saw her, chirping weakly on the ground. She was in pain. He couldn't kill the soldiers fast enough. He forced her to be with him the past four years. He knew the overlord liked her and hung out with her anyway. This was all his fault.

Trying not to make any sudden movements to scare her, he slowly dropped to his knees moved toward her. He softly stroked the top of her head.

“I don't think she's going to li—”

“Shut up!” Dirk whispered harshly. He swallowed. “She's not going to die. Hand me my cloak.”

Dave silently complied.

Dirk wrapped her up gingerly, avoiding the arrow as best as he could. “Take her, take my horse, and save her. This sounds convenient, but this path leads to a ruined castle. There you'll find a nun by the name of Lalonde. She will help.”

“Look I get that she's your companion, but the poor thing is done for!”

“You listen to me!” Dirk snatched Dave’s collar with two hands. “If she dies, I will hunt you down, my mission will be for naught and it will be your fault that prick is still alive. If she dies, I will find you and I will kill you. Do you understand me?”

“Alright, okay,” Dave said, defeated. Dirk released him, picked up Hawk, and handed her to the Crow.

“If we both go, we won’t make it. Jacob can’t handle that kind of weight, and you’re the lightest one out of the two of us. You can make it before sunset if you go now.”

“Why does sunset mat—”

“Go!”

Dave got on Jacob’s saddle quickly. Dirk watched them as they faded into the distance and he couldn't see them anymore. He followed the path for as long as he could.

His mind did not stop reeling all day, and by sunset he was weak from exhaustion mentally and physically. He figured he got about halfway to the castle when orange light faded to gray.

And he wasn’t himself anymore.


	5. 4- Histories

Roxanne Lalonde didn’t sleepwalk much. But when she did, she scribbled all over the walls of her rundown abode. She didn’t require much, just a roof and some herbs her student planted before she quit. Fortunately for Roxy, she figured out how to grow them properly before the fallout of yet another person in her life.

She woke up that morning to the same message she’d been scrawling for four years now. She’d been keeping track. It was four years and eight days since…

It didn’t matter anymore. She wasn’t getting any younger and she already seemed like the crazy lady who lived alone with about sixteen cats roaming the premises. 

Entity had long been a nonexistent figure in her life. She didn’t feel close to them anymore, despite the clothes she wore religiously since her indoctrination nearly twenty years ago.

At dawn, she awoke with the same message on the walls, no matter how many times she had cleaned them over the years.

“A day without a night, a night without a day.”

She was mostly impressed with the spelling. Usually, whenever she wrote letters nowadays that she would never send, the typos would be abhorrently obvious. Perhaps it was her drink.

But this, not even the worst hangovers could create.

It took her all day to gather her bucket from the well and scrub down the grammatically correct message. When she finally sat down to cook her dinner above the outdoor fire, it was almost sunset. Her heart panged every time she saw it. Before she could reach for another drink, she heard someone calling, their voice cracking.

“Hello! Anyone up there?!” 

Roxy all but hobbled to the platform overlooking the path leading up to her castle. She covered her head before replying.

“Hey, hello! Whaddya want!” she yelled. There was a boy on a dark horse at her castle. Well, an older boy. Too young for her. Too young to be out in this wilderness.

“My name is Dave of Felt! I was told to bring you this bird! It’s hurt and probably gonna die!”

Her stomach grumbled. “Good, I’m starving!”

“No! We can’t eat this bird!”

Roxy huffed. “Why the hell not?”

“This bird belongs to a guy named ‘Strider,’ that’s why!”

Roxy’s chest tightened. “B-bring her up! We don’t have much time!” She ran to the crank and turned it, lifting up the state-of-the-art wooden door that prevented the common thief from intruding. She heard the boy lead the horse through the door and walk up the cramped steps. The crank didn’t require much work; she was huffing and puffing because of the dire importance that she was now responsible for. 

“Are you Lalonde?” he asked when he emerged, carrying the hawk as gently as he would a human baby.

“I am. Follow me, come on!” She led him across the small bridge connecting the door and the castle and made sure he didn’t fall through the secondary traps she’d laid in it. It was meant to fall through should someone be stupid enough to come barging through the door. She put out many failsafes, and they all came in handy one way or another. For instance, she never drank the water that flowed under that bridge for bloody  _ reasons _ . 

Inside, she had the boy put the hawk straight onto her own bed, which was a functional mattress that she made herself using various furs and fleece she had collected and traded for over the years. She recognized the cloak wrapped around the bird as Dirk’s. She glanced outside the window and saw the sun setting a little too quickly. 

“Get out,” she ordered him.

“Look, I didn’t come all this way to—”

“Get out!” She shoved him and he complied. She might be almost forty, but she still had her strength. She slammed the door between them and bolted it shut. She turned back to Jane and approached her slowly. Talking softly, she said, “Don’t worry Janey, I won’t let you die.”

* * *

Dave heard the nun talking to herself, but couldn’t understand what she was saying. A cat grazed his ankle and made him jump. The cat did not respond and rubbed itself against him. He crouched and started petting it. He then heard footsteps running around inside the room and took his leave, but not very far. He had noticed that the door could be locked from the outside and realized that this Lalonde person might keep him out of the situation.

Dave decided to put his foot down. If he was going to go along with the whole thing, then he was going to figure out what the hell is going on and why that damn bird is so important. He wondered if Dirk and the woman truly knew each other, even though he joked about it just last night. He wondered if they were together now, and if she was helping him get to their present location.

Dave pretended to go down the stairs. Six steps down, he crouched and watched the barn door. 

He hid there, watching Lalonde seal the door with a padlock and walk in three different directions before choosing one away from his present location. As soon as she was gone, he walked straight to the door and examined the lock. It looked pretty new, but it shouldn’t take long to pick it. Not with his skills as a common thief. He took out a nail he had lifted from the platform deck just a moment before and paired that with a key stolen from a soldier that helped him escape his chains and opened the lock easily. He discarded the thing and opened the door.

* * *

Jane shuddered every time she moved an inch. There was an arrow through her shoulder and she could only imagine what happened. A hunter must have shot at her. She craned her head and corrected herself; This was the unmistakable arrow of an imperial soldier. It made her imagination run wild. What happened to Dave? Is Dirk alright? And where was she?

She was covered by a soft furskin, which covered most of her naked body. It looked like she was in a rundown barn, or perhaps a very old building.

As much as an inconvenience the curse was, the only good thing about it was that every time she injured herself, the next night, there would be no trace. She appreciated that when she sliced open a finger while skinning an animal or getting burned by a fire during the first year of the curse, and she had all but forgotten about it now.

It was dangerous now. The wound had healed around the arrow, and it was now a permanent part of her body. From what she could tell, there was hardly a bruise around it. She wanted to sigh exasperatedly, but the arrow prevented her from doing even that without causing a tremendous amount of pain.

She heard the door opening and turned her head toward it, trying not to make too big a movement.

She didn’t know who she expected, but it wasn’t Dave. He gawked at her looking her up and down like she was an expensive linen. She guessed the jig was up.

“Y-you’re that woman,” he stammered. He cleared his throat and swallowed before speaking again. “So, what are you exactly? Human or hallucination?”

Jane asked herself that nearly every day. Every day she came up with the same answer. “I don't know anymore.”

Dave nodded slightly, but still looked confused. At the same time, he understood everything. At least she thought he did. 

Suddenly, the door opened and someone she hadn't seen in years walked in, annoyed and charging for Dave, holding the padlock out to him. 

“How in the he—” She interrupted herself when she saw Jane. “Oh, shit.”

It hurt Jane to let out a short, wry chuckle. It was socially unbecoming of a nun to swear.

“Leave. Now.”

“Me?” Dave asked. 

“Go!” Roxy shoved him until he was out the door, then deadbolted it. She turned to Jane, a serious look clouding her face. “How are you feeling?”

“I can't move without a stabbing pain,” Jane answered honestly. 

“At least it missed your heart, Janey,” Roxy said, preparing the medicinal herbs. She worked silently from there, a heavy atmosphere filling the room. No matter how many times she forgave, Jane knew that Roxy would never forgive herself. It had been nearly four years since they lost touch. Mostly because of Dirk. They mainly traveled during the day, when there were less bandits waiting in the shadows, and because of that, he steered them away from Felt and the castle where Roxy had exiled herself. 

Jane decided to stare at the ceiling until Roxy was done. 

“What happened to your protege?” Jane asked as Roxy approached. 

“She quit. Apparently I'm a crazy cat lady.” Roxy winked. She did have a lot of cats, Jane thought. She thought for sure that the young woman would have been able to deal with a few animals. 

“How many is it now?”

Roxy sat next to her on the pile of furs. “About thirty the last time I checked.” Jane balked at her. “Probably more now. Haven't seen a single mouse.” She took a breath. “You ready?”

Jane nodded. “Please make it quick.” 

Roxy applied the medicine. As far as Jane knew, and judging by the smell, the medicine was meant to prevent bleeding. A slight hint of some pungent vodka meant that it was going to sting like hell. 

“Wait,” she said, putting a hand on Roxy’s just before she put her hand on the arrow. “Are you inebriated in any way?”

Roxy hesitated. “I haven't had any in a few hours, so I'm okay for now.”

Jane considered asking for some herself, but she wanted the arrow out as soon as humanly possible. She nodded for Roxy to go on. 

As she wrapped her fingers around the arrow, Jane gripped the furs and focused on the ceiling. 

All at once, the arrow was yanked straight out of her, scraping by her shoulder blade. Jane tried to stifle her scream, but the pain was worse than she anticipated. She tried to writhe in the agony, but Roxy held fast. She continued to apply even more medicine, which did sting, but it was not as painful as the wound itself. 

The entire ordeal lasted only ten seconds, but it felt like forever before the pain started to die down. She wouldn't need very many stitches, but bed rest would be essential until dawn when she reverts to hawk form again. 

For once, she looked forward to being an animal.

* * *

As the mystery woman screamed bloody murder, Dave could swear that he heard a wolf crying the distance.

Like a sentry, he stayed outside the door for another hour. Granted, the situation made him pace back and forth, processing the truth that he just witnessed combined with the fact that she was going to undergo surgery. He decided that he wasn't needed for now and walked to the stable.

“Entity, you've got some splainin’ to do,” he muttered.

* * *

Religious Overlord Caliborn the First was experiencing a nightmare. He often did, since the weight of the world’s sins were on his shoulders. This was the same nightmare he had had for four years. Every night, it terrified him.

He saw her face, enticing him into the shadows, and he followed willingly. Hands appeared and dragged him down into the fiery pits. 

He awoke to the door of his private chambers being thrust open. 

If he weren't so disturbed, he would have chastised the intruder. 

“Overlord Caliborn,” the guard said, silhouetted by the candlelight behind him, “Gamzee Makara the Rager has arrived.”

Now, Caliborn hoped, his nightmares would abstain from his mind.

* * *

“Entity, huh?” Roxy said, approaching Dave outside the stable. He started, practically jumping into the air. It was nearly midnight and she could see their breaths fogging up the air. “Come next to the fire. I got food.”

Dave couldn't say no to food. 

He followed her to the area before the bridge where there was a moderate fire going. Roxy had set up a small supply of rabbits on sticks, and there was a slab of rock being used as a bench. She sat down on it and patted next to herself. Dave sat down with her. 

“So…” He didn't know what to say. He wanted out, but at the same time, he couldn't ditch them now. 

“She's sleeping. She'll be okay.”

“Hmm.”

Roxy roasted two rabbits over the fire. The things had fully cooked before either of them spoke again. The sky was starry and clear, save for some heavy clouds over the distant mountains. Winter was coming, but not until those clouds were powerful enough to cross that mountain range. Dave guessed another day or so before the sky-high peaks ripped whatever weather system that was to shreds. Between them and the mountain range was nothing but a dry, grassy vale. The countryside was not pretty this time of year, that's for sure. In Alternirome, everything was supposedly beautiful all year. And sunny. Nothing beats the sun. 

“I'm sure you're wondering why that's possible,” Roxy said. 

“That woman?” Dave asked, gesturing inside with his thumb. 

Roxy blinked. “You don't even know her name?”

Dave blinked. “She didn't exactly have reason to. We’ve only met twice. Three times now.” He grasped the hair at his scalp. “What have I been dragged into?”

“This is nothing short of a curse.” He looked back to Roxy, who stared intently at the fire. “You're talking to Entity, right? So you have to know that there are dark forces out there.”

“I don't understa—”

“Entity has enemies. Of course he has allies, too. But the important ones are the enemies. Mainly one. They don't have a name. The clergy calls them ‘The Darkness.’ There are fools out there who deal in the darkness and the most dangerous fool of all conjured up this one. But I'm getting ahead of myself.”

Dave’s gaze went back to the fire. He felt like this was going to be story time with the crazy cat nun. 

“So about a league from here is an abandoned plague town called ‘Crockerton.’ This is where our heroine was born. Her name was Jane. She'd always been sought after, but she was always too busy helping in her family bakery to help. Then the plague, blah, blah, blah, she was sent to Felt.

“Dirk Strider of Corazón was a child of two worlds. His Germanus father abandoned him and his mother from Beforcelona when he was a baby. It sure does explain the eyes, huh? After his mother died when he was seven, he was sent to an orphanage in Corazón up north, and shortly after that, recruited to become an international soldier. Little did the people of that orphanage know that those kids would never come back. Not that they cared. Jerks. 

“Jane’s cousin was a blacksmith, which made for a decent living, especially if you were the  _ royal _ blacksmith. She helped him out. Dirk was a regular. He went into many battles and became the captain of the friggin’ guard, and as a result needed swords repaired.”

“You said he was an orphan but he has this fancy heirloom sword. What's up with that?”

“That old thing?” Roxy laughed. “The only thing from his heritage. His father left it for him apparently. Maybe he had some convoluted dream to find him someday and prove his worth. It's a silly dream. That father of his left thirty years ago and I doubt he's coming back, sword or no sword.” She took a swig from a leather pouch. She exhaled after and Dave smelled alcohol. 

“Anyway,” Roxy continued, “they met and became fast friends. They didn't know they had feelings until it was almost too late. They…” Roxy paused, shifting her gaze to the far distance. 

“They?” Dave encouraged. 

“They were betrayed.”

* * *

Jane struggled to sleep. She heard them talking, but couldn't catch any words. She wanted to move, but felt like the stitches would come out. She didn't doubt Roxy’s sewing skills, but these felt flimsy. She pulled her new(ish) tunic back to see it. It was only bleeding a little. That was sort of a relief. At least she wasn’t bleeding too much.

* * *

“Some stupid priest took their confession of one teeny embrace and started blabbing to everyone in the religious society. One of those listeners was Religious Overlord Caliborn the First. Rumor had it that he went ballistic.” Roxy paused and took another swig, but nothing came out. She tossed it behind her and continued. “That he turned to the Darkness itself. I don’t think he ever came back from it completely. His speeches were full of spite after that. There was no more truth to the sermons anymore. So I left the monastery. Yep, it’s all because of that guy.” The fire was starting to die, so she threw in another small log.

“Hmm,” Dave said. He ripped off the last of his rabbit and didn’t ask for any more. She figured he was too modest.

“Of course, the overlord felta lil’ betrayed himself. His loyal captain servant stealin’ the heart of his obsession? What a blow. He prolly said something like, ‘If I can’t have her no one will!’ or whatever. The details are lost, but all I witnessed was the runnin’. Dirk came ta me with a hawk in his arms and told me it was her. I helped ‘im get out, but not without payin’ for it.”

“What did you do?”

“Let’s just say I borrowed from the soldiers’ stable while he hid ‘n my room. I told him to wait until dark but he wanted out as soon as possible. I couldn’t stop him after I gave him that horse.” She didn’t want to hint that she knew more than she was saying, but the drink was loosening up her tongue something fierce.

“Do they know you’re the one who betrayed them?”

“You! Shush! I’m not done.”

“So they do know.”

“I! Think you’re hallucinating.”

“That would explain why they’re traveling instead of just staying with you.”

Roxy didn’t respond.

“Look, I get it.” Dave put his hands between them. “Jane is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. And I don’t doubt that she has sent a few men packing. But what I don’t understand is that if you were so close to them, why did you give them up? I know it wasn’t a priest. I’ve been to confessionals and they don’t do duos.”

Roxy squinted and reminded herself not to underestimate this boy. “Smart.” She took a deep breath. “It was jealousy.”

“Of Jane?”

“Of both of them. I’ve been Dirk’s friend since he started his soldier training, and Jane’s beauty simply swept me off my feet...” She dazed for a moment, lost in her momentary pining. “Being a nun meant eternal singleness so I could have left them be. But darkness is more than some figure with claws a shrouded face like in the symbolic religious artwork. It’s an impulse. It clouds the brain. Too much of it creates an unfathomable void.”

“Is that the real reason you left?”

Roxy nodded shamefully, her head in her hands.

“Listen—”

Roxy sat back up suddenly, interrupting Dave. “The curse was a thing done by the overlord himself. Then he sent soldiers to kill Dirk for good measure. So in the daytime, Jane would become a hawk, and in the night, well…” A wolf howled in the distance. “Dirk would become a wolf. No doubt he's been haunting your dreams with those lonesome cries.” 

Dave said nothing, justifying her claim. 

“The only way the curse can be broken is to have their human forms simply touch each other.” Roxy made claw gestures out of frustration. “It'll be a fraction of a second between the sunrise and sunset, which is why it's prolly taken four years.”

“Why can't they just kill him? Dirk seems to have given up hope if his plan is to just march through the gates and—”

“You gotta stop’m then!” She put her hands on Dave’s shoulders. “The curse was written to be forever if he dies!” She slid away. “Oh, no…” She has to come up with a plan, and quick. She took another breath and told him one last fun fact. “When they're animals, they don't remember their human lives, and vice versa. It's a half sorta life. It's not fair. It has to take a tremendous amount of faith in each other that they won't run off with someone else.”

“Couldn't they just write letters?”

Roxy shrugged. “They dropped me like a plate o’life bread when they found out, which was pretty quick. Something to ask them now that you know their secrets.”

Dave opened his mouth to say something. 

“If you're wondering about a way out of this horror show, then there's no way. You've officially been dragged down with the rest of us.” Roxy let herself smile mysteriously before trodding to get more wine. “Leave tonight if you want, but beware, there be wolves afoot this time of night.”

* * *

Dave thought about his situation in front of that fire for an hour before realizing that the Lalonde woman was not coming back out.

“Did she pass out somewhere?” he wondered aloud. “Whatever.” He turned his head to the sky. “Some fine mess you've gotten me into, Entity.” 


	6. 5- Solutions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst maybe?

Roxy awoke with a start. It was still an hour before sunrise and she had no time to wash the new scrawlings on the attic wall. She didn't want to, either.

She knew what they meant now. It had been so clear, but excruciatingly vague! Why couldn't she see it before? The understanding didn't fade with the dream like they usually did. She blamed herself for not listening.

She needed to tell someone.

Dave was the first one she saw. He was still sleeping in the room they shared the previous night, leaving Jane to her privacy just downstairs.

“Dave!” she called loudly from across the room. He groaned. She clicked her tongue and crawled over to him, then shaking his shoulder. He opened his eyes blearily. “I know how to break the curse!”

“Can't it wait until the morning?” he groaned.

“It _is_ morning,” she said, looking at the window. She knew it was.

He tilted his head to follow her gaze. “No it's not.” He curled into a ball and pulled the rough canvas blanket over himself.

Roxy ripped it back off. “This is important!”

Dave shot up into a sitting position. “What the he–” he censored himself, “What’s wrong with you!”

“Entity!” she shouted, arms flailing. She wasn't frustrated with his disbelief, for it only got her more excited to explain herself. “He's been coming to me in dreams the day the curse was inflicted! I've forgotten them every time, but then sometimes I walked in my sleep and wrote this message on the walls!” She gestured to the room.

Dave looked around, and his face contorted, probably just noticing them. Roxy figured as such, for he had just woken up. He drew his lips to the side of his face. “You probably wrote that while drunk.”

“I passed out before you did.”

Dave then frowned and squeezed his eyes shut, probably remembering that little fact. “Logic evades me like roaches in the sun.”

They stay there for several beats. “I still can't remember the dream, though. But I remember it's the same dream. It explains everything. Probably.”

“Convenient.”

“We need to tell Dirk.”

“Can it wait until the sun comes up?”

Roxy squinted her eyes at him, then laughed like it was a joke. It probably wasn't, but she laughed anyway.

“I'm going back to sleep now. Don't wake me unless—” He stopped himself. “Son of a…” he muttered.

Roxy tilted her head, then heard them.

It was thunderous in the isolated valley, and oh so close, too. The sound of horses and hooves approaching the castle reverberated in her eardrums like flies in her head. She hated the sound of approaching death, and this was it. It stemmed from a childhood she’d rather forget, but there was no use avoiding it now.

“They found us somehow,” Dave said.

“Logic,” Roxy breathed. “I'm their only friend and that idiot put it together.” Her head started to hurt.

“What, Ampora?” Dave rushed to the window and looked out. “He seriously figured it out? _Ampora_ did? That doesn't make sense. They investigated you already, so you should be fine.”

Roxy was still frozen in place when Dave started getting his shoes on. “The overlord must have been telling him privileged information. Such as the importance of the hawk.”

“He wouldn't tell Ampora about the hawk.” He paused. “Would he?”

Roxy shrugged. “He would tell him just enough. Not about the curse. Just enough.” The sound got louder and the pounding of her head intensified. It was worse than any hangover she had ever had. She wanted to drink it away.

She couldn't even register what Dave was saying anymore.

* * *

“Okay, so he thought that you still lived here and sent his men to get me and Dirk, and retrieve an alleged traitor. Imprison and maybe execute us all. What do we do?”

Roxy stayed silent.

“Roxy?”

She looked distant.

“For fuck’s sake, you'd think that there'd be an ally in this crazy tale that was normal for once. Roxy, snap out of whatever you're under right _now!_  I'm not combat trained, and I don't know where to go to hide in this place. I'm going to need you to help me, okay?”

Roxy blinked.

“Well, while you're getting your shit together, _I'm_ going to get Jane.” Roxy snapped her head up to look at him. “Well first I'll get a weapon from Jacob’s saddle, then I'll get her. With or without you.”

Roxy took a quick breath. “There are traps everywhere here. Be careful and watch for cat scratches. That will be the indicator.”

Dave remembered the bridge had been covered in scratches. What kind of death death trap had Roxy built here?!

He nodded and flew downstairs, his feet barely felt like they touching the ground. His specialty was running, after all.

* * *

Jane was woken up by a hand shaking her shoulder. She gasped but then realized it was just Dave.

“We gotta hide. Soldiers found us.”

She nodded. She was used to this. She was used to running. She was used to logic worming its way into her life story. Logically speaking, they should have been dead already. She and Dirk shared a certain stubbornness and that kept them both alive.

She walked carefully, trying not to agitate her wound and make the stitches pop open. Dave led her outside, where the light was beginning to brighten. She looked up at the tallest tower, distracted by its silhouette against the lilac sky. They had perhaps fifteen minutes before the sun rose.

She heard a crash of wood and started. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest.

“I think they broke down the door!” Jane whispered harshly.

“Roxy says there are traps everywhere, so we should be okay.”

“We should hide in the dungeon.”

“That's what Roxy said.”

“She is very smart, you know.”

“Past the alcohol, anyway. I thought she was drunk this morning when she told me about—”

Jane spotted some guards in an adjacent tower, blocking their path. They must have come through a side entrance. “Dave!” She tugged at his arm and pointed. She was quiet, but the guards turned their attention to them regardless.

Dave whipped to her and she did the same. He was gently shoving her through the narrow passageways of old, muttering, “There goes that plan…”

They avoided the guards somehow and ended up on a rickety staircase swirling to the top of a tower on the other side of the campus. They were almost to the top when she heard that door smash open, too.

* * *

Roxy openly mocked the new captain of the guard from her perch, but as soon as they broke through her state-of-the-art defenses, she almost regretted it. She ran to guard the bridge. They came up the stairs and she spread out her arms.

“I’m just going to let you know that this bridge is very dangerous!” she shouted to them.

“Move aside!” one of the guards said, brushing past her.

“Hey!” She turned to watch him and two others go across. One walked on the right side, one in the middle, and one on the correct side. The entirety of the bridge (except on the left side) wasn’t reinforced with beams or the recommended thickness of wood, and considering the weight of a fully grown man plus metal armor, they should give out in three, two…

The two men on the wrong side of the bridge fell through, and in doing so, pushed the third over the side with their flailing limbs. She craned her body and watched as the men quickly sank to the bottom of the shallow moat, where spikes awaited them.

She pointed and yelled, “HA!” while pointing to the bubbling brook. Or is it babbling?

In her joviality, she had forgotten about Sir Eridan Ampora. She turned back around only to be backhanded across the side of her head, efficiently knocking her out.

* * *

Dave was panting by the time they sealed the access door shut. The tower they stood upon was not wide at all. Not a lot of room for a fight, and no good hiding spots, either. If they couldn’t find something to block the door, it would only be a matter of time before the soldiers would break through.

They were sitting ducks up there.

“What should we do?” Jane asked. Dave must have turned himself around five times looking around for something, anything, to blockade themselves. He had slid the latch through its hole, but the wood was rotting and in desperate need of repair. He guessed the guards would notice that right away, and he preferred getting out sooner rather than later.

“Uh...”

A sword poked between the boards of the door. Dave ran over and kicked it, and it retreated. It returned, sticking its full length straight up, nearly missing his foot, and he stumbled backwards right into Jane, which sent her stumbling backwards herself. Dave realized his mistake too late as she lost her footing on the rickety wood paneling that looked like it was supposed to be an extension of the castle, but was either unfinished or left to fall apart. He reached out and grabbed her hand before she could fall to her death.

“Shit!” Dave shouted, effectively rescuing her. For the time being anyway. Dave was nowhere near strong enough to lift her back up, the weight of a human already pressing his sternum to the rough ground. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if he let go, either. He tried not to look past her at the ground way down below.

“I can’t get a foothold!” she cried.

“Hold on!” He tried to reach down with his other hand but the action made him slip further off of the edge. He cried out in pain and felt one of her fingers slip from his hand.

She reached up for his hand too late as the rest of her fingers lose their grip.

He saw her falling in slow motion. She screamed until all he saw was clothes fluttering down to the ground.

He looked to his right and saw that the sun had risen. Her curse had saved her. Dirk must be on his way now. His brain registered the sounds coming from the door behind him as dangerous, so he hid, standing on the wood paneling, hugging the outer walls. The sun had already risen for a short while when he heard the snapping of wooden door.

The guard’s armor clattered as he ran around like a chicken with his head cut off. Dave snorted at the thought.

“There!” the guard exclaimed. Dave saw a sword in the corner of his eye, resting on his shoulder. “Tell me where the woman is.”

“I don’t know!”

He jammed the sword against Dave’s neck. “Where is she, Crow?!”

“Honestly! She flew away! I don’t know where she went!”

“Stop lying to me, or you’ll regret it.”

“Listen—”

Suddenly, the guard gurgled and Dave felt the sword fall away. He looked up just in time to see an arrow sticking out of the man’s throat and collapse backwards. The sounds continued for a very long minute-and-a-half. He tried not to throw up from his imagination running wild.

He carefully turned his head around and saw a lone figure dressed in black about a kilometer away. How in the fuck did he do that?

* * *

“Tsk. I missed,” Dirk muttered. No doubt the guard went through a slow and painful death instead of an instant one.

But it seemed that he had arrived just in time regardless. It wasn't hard to tell that there was a threatening situation happening, what with all the horses on standby outside and a pair of humans on a tower. He reloaded the crossbow and continued towards the castle on foot.

He hoped everyone was alright.

And yes, he did mean everyone. He was not one to hold grudges, but betray his trust and it would take years to earn it again.

He counted only five international guardsmen horses on his way in, so this team must have been only scouts.

He was approaching the front gate when he saw Sir Ampora bumbling out. He was weaponless and alone, and it felt wrong to kill someone who was unarmed. Besides, _someone_ has to tell the overlord that they failed again.

He heard an hawk’s cry and looked up to see her circling him from above. He held out his arm so she could land.

* * *

Roxy woke up blearily, her head pounding as usual. This time from a KO. She sat up as carefully as possible and picked up one of the cats at her feet. It purred against her arms and chest. Roxy felt great satisfaction in this.

She thought she was hallucinating when she saw Dirk climbing the steps with Jane on his forearm.

“Still alive.” He sighed with relief. “Good. Thank you. I'm looking for the Crow.”

She wanted to reply with a meek response, but every fiber in her being told her to give him the good news. Another side of her had been itching to give him a line she’d been sitting on for _years_.

She finally settled with the sassy line first. “Still have a stick shoved all the way to your cranium, I see.” She stood up as he approached. “Nevertheless, I know how to break the curse. Entity told me.”

“I don't have time for this.”

“You need to listen!”

“No I do not. I need to speak with the Crow and then be on our way.”

“Dirk Strider of Corazón, if you keep going down this path, you're going to lose! And if you lose, she loses—”

“Don't talk to me about losing. I have lost everything, but now I have hope.” He paused. “Are you sure what you have heard is even Entity?”

Roxy seethed. She took a few seconds to calm down. Of course she knew! Four years of dreams and as soon as Jane returned, it was like the fog had lifted from her understanding. “I'm sure,” she said with confidence in her stance.

Dirk furrowed his brow only slightly. “Believe what you want. My path is set. And I know it is the right thing to do.”

“You're blinded by revenge. Killing him won't solve anything.”

“Did Entity tell you that, too?”

“Dave did.”

Dirk sighed. He looked past her and said, “Crow.”

“Sup?” Dave answered. He stopped next to her, giving her a quick side glance.

“I want to thank you. For getting Hawk here safely.”

“Don't you mean Ja–HLUGHH!”

Roxy had lodged an elbow in his ribs. She saw years ago what the mere mention of _her_ name did to Dirk. Roxy herself felt the same. She felt the need to prove this to him.

“And for that, I'm allowing you to go. Do whatever you like. You are no longer obligated to help me.”

“Seriously?” Dave asked. Roxy stole a glance. He looked relieved and torn. “Well, in that case, I'll stay with you and Ladyhawke.”

Roxy smiled gratefully. She hoped that Dave would knock some sense into Dirk.

* * *

Dave didn't expect to be freed. But he did want to help them. Truth be told, he actually had a weird dream last night, too. He didn't feel like telling it, since he saw Dirk’s reaction to the prospect of Roxy’s dream.

“Ladyhawke?” Dirk asked. He gave a tiny smile again, just like the other day when he broke his resting bitch face for only a moment. He looked at Jane. He nodded approvingly. “It's a better name than ‘Hawk.’”

“Before you go,” Roxy said, “in a three days, there will be a night without a day, and a day without a night.”

Dirk’s smile faded. Dave looked back at Roxy, whose resolve was unwavering.

“It's on this day you will break the curse.”

“I plan to be in Felt in two days time.” Dirk turned to Dave. “As I said Crow–no, Dave–you are no longer required to attend. You can leave if you want. Do what you want from now on. I will not hold you prisoner.”

As much as Dave wanted to leave, he wanted to stay twice as much. “Nah. I'm still willing to help. If you'll have me, that is.”

Dirk let out a short grunt that Dave assumed was a good sound, turned back to the stairs, and started climbing down. Three steps down, he looked back to say, “We leave in half an hour.” He then continued on his way. Dave waited until he heard Jacob whinnying before he turned back to Roxy.

In a hushed tone, he said, “Follow us.”

Roxy nodded and took off.

Dirk may have his plans, but all morning, Dave had been thinking about Roxy’s dream. He was talking to Entity and didn't come to any other conclusion than to heed those prophesying words.

If there was one thing he learned this past week, it was that running and killing never solved jack shit.

* * *

With his golden staff, Overlord Caliborn sifted through the pelts Gamzee Makara the Rager brought. They were all adequate enough.

“These are adequate enough,” Caliborn said.

“Thanks, motherfucker,” the rager said.

Caliborn was appalled at the informal response. “You will address me appropriately,” he commanded.

“‘Kay, bro.”

Caliborn sighed. Close enough. “Listen, rager, I have a special mission for you. Feel free to take any help from my guard.”

“Nah. I WORK ALONE!”

Caliborn jumped back. Not because he was scared, but because he had forgotten that ragers had another quirk: sudden and unexpected rage. Hence the name. He smiled. “Your mission is this: hunt me a black wolf. There is no other tint in his fur and his eyes are a bright orange. He is very large.

“Aight.”

“Do not underestimate this wolf.”

“‘Kay.”

“Do you understand?”

“Yup.”

Caliborn squinted. The dazed look on the rager’s face did not convince him. Fortunately, the resume of furs reminded him that he was highly qualified.

“Search nearby towns connected to wooded areas. They have been seen in similar towns and we have reason to believe that they stick to the trees like the animals they are. They make the most movement under the cover of darkness.” Caliborn walked to the door, making a wide berth around Gamzee. He put his hand on the door to leave. He needed to start mid-week mass within the hour. “One last thing.” He turned to Gamzee.

He looked at Caliborn expectantly.

“He will be traveling with a woman by the name of Jane.” He paused for a full second. “Jane of Crockerton.”


	7. 6- Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a lot longer than I intended.  
> Once again, art is by raspberrychan on tumblr~!

Dave had no problems keeping up with Jacob as he trotted along the paths through the forests. Thankfully, Dirk had the sense to stop every hour or so for water and have Dave rest. Every stop they made gave him anxiety. He didn't know how Roxy followed them, and he wanted to keep it that way. 

“Question,” Dave said around lunch time. 

“What is it?” Dirk answered. 

“So, let's say that Roxy’s prophecy does have merit—”

“You will not mention this to me again, nor to her,” Dirk said adamantly. 

“ _ Really? _ ” Dave muttered in disbelief. He would have to try something else. 

An hour before the sunset, Dirk stopped so they could to make camp. “It'll be an hour until the sunset, and we need to make camp.”

“Why so early?” Dave asked. “I know your secret so there's no need for you to mysteriously disappear while ‘hunting’ like every other night.”

Dirk faced Dave. “It's going to rain tonight and we need to make shelter.” Dirk had said it like it was obvious. Dave looked up and saw only overcast through the canopy. 

He shrugged and let Dirk dictate the shelter-building process. 

“Another question,” Dave said, organizing the sticks into piles. 

“Hm.”

“Do you ever let Jane decide where to go? Or to do anything on her own?”

“Despite the fact that you've insulted my intelligence by accusing me of overbearing sexism, that's two questions. And as far as doing everything herself, she is perfectly capable. I have complete faith in her for that.”

“Then why does she do everything that you do without complaint?”

Dirk let out a laugh, somehow without smiling. “Clearly, you don't know her very well.” He came into Dave’s line of vision. “Or me, for that matter.”

Dave stopped organizing the sticks and faced Dirk. “Okay your past may be a complete mystery, but your personality is a cinch: you're smart, sure, but you're also a stubborn, un-fun dictator who could care less about the people around him.” Dave quickly amended his statement when Dirk clenched his fists. “Except for Ladyhawke!” Dave said with his hands up. 

Dirk seemed to calm down. He still looked stressed, but that could have meant anything.

* * *

They continued setting up the shelter in silence.

“It's time for me to go,” Dirk said suddenly. It's true that they weren't finished with the shelter, but the sun was setting quickly and he had to go before he transformed and attacked anyone that wasn't Jane. He turned to Dave. “I leave her in your care. Please protect her.”

“No problem,” Dave said carefully. 

Dirk shrugged off his weapons, cloak and boots and walked away from the camp. He got about fifty feet from the site when he heard a cart coming down the path. It was full of pelts and his instincts flared like a wildfire. He wished that his wolf form could remember that image. Anxiety flooded him as he spent his last few moments as a man.

* * *

Dave made the executive decision to ditch the shelter as soon as the rain started. It wasn't doing much good and he and Jane were getting soaked. They packed their meager amount of things on Jacob and rode into a town they had passed earlier. Through the downpour, he saw torches lighting up a few buildings on the outskirts. One of them was a barn.

“Well, it's not an inn,” Dave mumbled. 

“It's fine! More room for Jacob,” she said, rubbing the horse’s neck. 

“Barn it is, then. I'll just be glad when we get out of these clothes.”

They entered the empty barn and put Jacob into a stable full of hay. 

“I don't have a dry set of clothes, so I'm going to go get some. Do you—”

“I have a set,” she said, shivering. 

Dave squinted at her. Of all the times he's seen her, she's only had one pair of pants and a tunic. “I'll be right back.”

“Promise not to steal anything!” she shouted on his way out. 

“No promises,” he said under his breath. “Entity, I hate lying to her, so I didn't say a word. I'm just going to assume that's alright with you.” He paused. “That sounded shitty, let me try again…”

He spotted some forgotten clothes hanging on a line a few homes away, and since there were no lights on inside, he helped himself to an outfit for both him and Jane. 

“I'll give them back, Entity.”

He knocked on the barn door and covered his eyes with one hand. “Ladyhawke! Coming in!”

He couldn't see anything, but he heard her giggling. 

“Ladyhawke?” She laughed. 

“You like it? I came up with it myself.”

“It's very nice. Thank you.”

“Here are some clothes, I can't promise they'll fit, but they weren't expensive.” He held out the women’s clothing to the general direction of her voice and she took them. He turned away and cracked his fingers open so he could see where he was going. “I'll be right outside.” 

He stepped out and slid the door shut tight. Trying not to shiver too much, he changed his clothes one piece at a time and wrung them out. He hated being so thin, but it came with the “stealing food to live” lifestyle. He waited a few more moments before knocking again. 

“Are you decent?”

“Yes! Come in!” He treaded carefully, painfully aware that her boyfriend could kill him at anytime, day or night.

* * *

“It's a better shelter than the last one,” Jane said, pointing to the leaky roof. The barn was the nicest place she'd stayed in years. She's not complaining. Dirk would have a fit if he found out, she imagined. She knew he'd done his best with the shelter, despite the fact that the storm was especially bad tonight. Wind howled occasionally, making the walls creak with it, but she didn't mind as long as she was dry.

“Hey.” Dave craned his neck as if he was listening to something. 

“Yes?” She did the same and heard music. 

“Did you know that in this country, it is illegal to not dance when music is being played?”

Jane saw where he was going with this. “Really now?” 

“Yeah, swear to—”

“Don't swear,” she interrupted, “it makes you seem insincere.” In her experience, people who swore also dealt in crossed fingers and other lies. 

“I swear to not swear, then.” He saluted and put a hand over his heart. 

Jane rolled her eyes, not helping a small smile forming despite herself. 

“So since I'm trying to turn over a new leaf, I think it's time to dance.” He held out his hand. 

She shook her head and took it, her smile getting wider. “Smooth,” she said, almost chuckling. 

The music was lively, a fiddler and a flautist. Perfect for frolicking. They didn't know any dances, so they simply skipped around each other and sometimes swung around with their hands connected. She couldn't remember a time where she had had so much fun. They ended the dance with the distant musicians, laughing. 

“You're a good person, and a good friend,” Jane said, watching him catch his breath. 

He put up a single thumb. “Thanks. You, too.”

“You know, if I didn't know any better, I would think that you and him were related.”

Dave gasped then started choking on his spit. When he calmed down, he asked, “Really? Me and Dirk?” He let out a raspberry through his lips. “Nah.” He paused. “No.” He met her gaze. “What makes you say that?”

“Well,” she said with a smile, “you both have this look,” she made Dirk’s resting stoic face, “when other people are looking at you. When they don't, you both like to stare at something in the far distance, like it was a life goal to get there.”

Dave didn't say anything for a moment. “You're right, he does do that.” He patted his knees with both hands. “Welp, I'm starving. Let's go get something.”

“Sure!” Jane agreed. 

Dave got to the door first. “It's still pouring out there. We should get something to cover ourselves.”

Jane glanced around and found a blanket big enough for both of them. “This will work,” she said, holding it up. 

Jane opened the door and offered half of the blanket to him, holding it over her head. He took it and they stepped out together. They were too busy laughing about how just small enough the blanket was to pay attention to the cart blocking their path. She lifted the cloth from her eyes and saw a dead wolf staring back at her. 

“No!” she screamed.

* * *

Jane was inconsolable. Dave saw the wolf pelts too, and saw the panic in her expression as she reached for the pelts and nearly touched them.

He swatted her hand away and said, “Jane, it's okay! It's not him!”

“Jane?” A strange voice said. Dave looked up to see a man dressed entirely in animal pelts and wore something like face paint. He was sitting in the cart being pulled by a mule, and the game looked fresh. “Jane of Crockerton?”

Dave bristled. He used her real name out of habit. This guy clearly knew who she was and Dave realized too late that he should have used his new nickname for her. He grabbed Jane’s arm and ran inside to get Dirk’s sword. Dave didn't know how to use it, but he's certainly going to scare off the asshole outside. 

He ran back outside and held the sword in the stranger's face. “Back off!” Dave commanded.

The stranger simply smiled. And chuckled. Creepily so. 

“I mean it! I know how to use this thing!” His voice cracked slightly when he said the last word. 

“Aight, motherfucker,” the stranger said. At that, he turned and went on his merry way towards the woods. 

Dave waited until he couldn't hear the cart creaking anymore before putting the sword down. He exhaled loudly and turned to go back inside. 

He had about half a second to jump out of the way of Jane riding Jacob, tearing past like a bat out of hell and into the trees. 

“Ladyhawke! Stop!” Dave called. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, he's gonna kill me!”

* * *

Jane was armed with her hunting knife. She wondered why she didn’t bother to train herself with the crossbow, and regretted it. She rode until she found the cart, which was empty. Pelts and carcasses were there, as well as the mule towing the thing and some leftover food. But she felt that something was missing. What would be missing from a cart of pelts?

She gasped softly in realization. Wolves are hard to hunt, and the best method for catching multiple animals is to wait for them to come to you. 

She couldn’t risk riding Jacob into the forest like this, so she disembarked and led him through the trees away from the cart, keeping her eyes glued to the ground. She had no idea what kind of traps this hunter had set, so she had to be careful. 

She had her weapon drawn as she walked, and eventually let go of Jacob. Logically, no one hunts in the rain, for sport or otherwise, so he would be safe from other hunters for tonight.

In the corner of her eye, she saw movement. It was dark and hulking, and low to the ground. 

She let her heart flutter, until it stood up and walked on two legs away from her. It was the hunter. Her stomach dropped. She thought she could hear metal clinking together as he walked. She looked back at the ground and saw an odd pile of leaves only a foot away. She immediately put two and two together: bear traps. She gritted her teeth and bent down to deactivate it. 

When she looked back up, the hunter was gone.

* * *

Dave carried the sword with two hands as he ran into the forest after Jane. He could barely see a thing in the darkness. He wondered how Jane got around like this. He didn’t waste time trying to figure it out.

* * *

“Shit,” Jane muttered quietly. She straightened back up and considered her options. Option one: disable the traps, save Dirk’s wolf form. The downside was letting the hunter get away. Option two: find the hunter again and kill him before he could kill Dirk. The downside was risking Dirk walking into one of those traps. Another upside was that she could follow the traps to the hunter.

She was too angry to consider other options. 

She heard a trap snap ahead of her and the yelp of an animal. It sounded like a dog. Her heartbeat and breathing quickened. She followed it as quickly and stealthily as possible, avoiding leaves and hiking up her new skirts as she walked.

She finally had the hunter within stabbing range as he was bent over a fallen animal when she recognized a tattoo on his arm. He was a rager. She gasped softly at it. Then she looked at the animal.

It was a black wolf.

“No,” she whimpered.

The rager twitched. 

She had revealed herself. It was now or never. She raised her weapon.

* * *

Dave stumbled through the trees like the blind bat that he was. “I should have been called the Bat for all the shit that I’ve been blind to nowadays. Curses and forlorn looks. I’ve almost had enough, honestly.” Lightning flashed as thunder crashed around him. “Jegus!” In his shock, he saw Jane raising something above a mess of fur.

Before he could call out her name, he heard the loud snarling of a wolf.

* * *

Jane turned behind her. She saw the wolf’s eyes and realized Dirk was fine. She smiled with relief.

“Dirk!” she called out. 

He snarled in response. 

Her face fell. Then the hair at the back of her neck stood up as she felt something looming behind her. She knew it was the rager and darted away from the both of them. She heard Dirk’s howling, followed by a scream and the sound of the bear trap snapping shut. She dared to look back and saw the rager struggling to pry it from around his neck. He failed and he gagged, presumably drowning in his own blood.

She got up and saw that Dirk had escaped. The other wolf was done for, and she couldn’t help but feel that it was her fault that an innocent animal had to die.

She frowned and went to the rager, who was still gyrating in the mud. She’s glad she didn’t have to stab him, but she still wanted to do him harm after what he did. She resisted and turned away before he stopped moving completely. She didn’t need that in her memory.

As Jane turned away from the ugly sight, she saw Dave bumbling along and ran to him.

“Jane! Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m okay.” She led him away from the scene. “Let’s go.”

She ignored his stammering on the way back to the town.

* * *

Dave walked Jane back to the barn before realizing that Jacob was nowhere to be found. He made sure Jane was sleeping before he went back out to find him. Fortunately, Dave was smart this time and brought a torch. Jacob was found in less than an hour.

“Thank Entity for fire,” he muttered, leading Jacob back by his reins.

Exhausted, Dave collapsed into the musty hay in the stable next to Jane’s. 

He must have gotten maybe two hours when a rooster crowed, making him jolt awake. He looked out a high window and saw the sky brightening. 

“Now’s as good a time as any,” he sighed. He stood up and peered over the wall separating him and Jane. She was still human. “Entity, I don’t beg very often, but please forgive me for having such feelings for another man’s woman.” He took the old clothes off the ledge, nearly dried from the storm the previous night. He put the new ones he stole aside and put on the old ones. As soon as she turned back, he decided, he’ll give hers back, too. “Also forgive me for being such a dumbass. I keep thinking about what I’m going to get out of all this. And so far it’s a pile of bullshit.” The sun rose and light filtered through the gaps in the walls. He heard a chirp next door and looked over the wall again. Ladyhawke had turned back. When she had flown away, he gathered the stolen clothes and put them all together in a bundle, then took Jacob out of the barn.

Dave returned to the house and tossed the clothes on the stoop without stopping. He reached the edge of the forest before finding Dirk again.

Dave remembered that they were nowhere near the shelter and suddenly felt very,  _ very _ culpable.

* * *

Dave looked tired. That set off a red flag. He wanted to not regret Dave looking after Ladyhawke for the night, but the expression on his face wasn’t giving him a lot of reasons to.

“What happened last night?” Dirk asked.

“Can I just ride on the horse today? I’m really tired.”

“Fine.” Dirk let Dave ride behind him on the saddle. At midday, he asked again. “What happened last night?”

Dave snored. Dirk rolled his eyes and got off the horse, making Dave lose his balance and nearly fall off. Dave yelped.

“I know you’re not sleeping. Tell me what happened.”

“You got me.” Dave groaned. He too got off. “Can we eat first?”

“No.”

“Stingy…” he muttered. Dirk heard, but didn’t respond. He didn’t want any further distractions like petty arguments. “Well, it started out great. The shelter didn’t last very long because the storm was so bad. I ended up taking her to a barn—”

“Why did you take her to a barn?” Dirk interrupted, worry flaring in his chest.

“It was shelter! And it was abandoned!”

“It was risky!”

“Can I finish?”

Dirk gestured at Dave to finish. “Go ahead.” The worry didn't dissipate.

* * *

Dave took a deep breath. It wasn't going to be easy explaining last night.

“We were soaking wet when we got there so we changed clothes.”

Dirk squinted. 

Dave put up his hands in defense. “Not together, of course.”

Dirk stepped toward Dave. “So you left her alone?”

Dave stepped back. “N-no!”

“So you changed together?” 

“You're putting words in my mou—”

“So you did leave her alone!”

Dave groaned and turned away. He wasn't going to win this. “Do you want the whole story?”

“Yes,” Dirk said. Dave turned back and saw that the ex-captain’s jaw was tight, like gritting his teeth was the only thing keeping the thief alive. 

Dave swallowed somewhat uncomfortably; he hadn't had a drink in hours. “Anyway, we ran into a hunter and Ladyhawke got upset, but he won't bother us anymore.”

“What happened with the hunter?”

“Ladyhawke ran after him on Jacob in the thunderstorm and I heard him get attacked by a wolf and fall into his own trap.”

Dave noticed that Dirk had this habit of looking at his hands whenever there was a mysterious wolf attack. “Probably me.”

Dave didn't answer. 

The moment was broken when a cry of frustration pierced the air a short distance away. It was female. Dave put his head in his hands. Roxy was here.

* * *

“I did not traipse through hell and high water–literally!–to hear Mr. Angst beat himself up over a little self defense!” Roxy shouted. She was sick of hiding. She cursed and muttered through the storm last night after her mule, Mutie the Mule, refused to travel in it. She was forced to sleep in the barely-covered cart. She vowed never to do that again. She's not going to feel her backbones for weeks.

“Were you following us?” Dirk asked with salt in his tone. 

She didn't care what he thought anymore. “Yes.” She put her hands on her hips. 

Dirk pinched the bridge of his nose. “Did you know about this?” he asked, turning to Dave. 

“About which part in particular?” Dave responded coolly. 

Dirk silently got up and mounted Jacob. He raised his arm for Jane, but she landed next to Dave instead. Roxy saw a hint of annoyance on his face. 

“I'm going to be in Felt tomorrow,” declared Dirk. “I'm ending this once and for all, and neither of you are welcome. Ladyhawke!” 

This time, Jane obeyed and landed on his arm.

Before either Roxy or Dave could argue, he rode away. Roxy didn't have the energy to stop him, so she just sat down on the log Dave was sitting on instead. 

“Now what?” he asked. 

“Now we convince Jane.”

“Going behind Dirk’s back? Ballsy.”

“A part of the curse is that they don't remember their half lives as animals, so we simply take advantage of that and try to get Jane to our side. She won't remember that disaster, so we should be able to hide the fact that we were ditched.”

“Shouldn't we go after them now?” He stood up and pointed in the direction Dirk just went. “We can catch up if we go now!”

“Can't a lady catch her breath first!” She rubbed her back. “Nearly threw my back out sleeping in the cart last night. I expected an inn or pine needles or somethin’!”

Dave squinted at her. She forgot to tell him. 

“If I brought a mattress, there wouldn't be any room for the cage.”

“The  _ what? _ ” 

Roxy almost enjoyed watching Dave squirm.

* * *

Jane expected to see Dave the Crow’s face when she woke up. When she didn't, she briefly wondered where he was. Then she remembered that she wasn't dressed and figured that was the reason. When he still didn't show himself, she began to get worried.

“Ladyhawke?” a soft voice said in the darkness a few hours later. At least, she knew it was darkness, her vision was unusually good at night. She tended until she found the source. 

She saw it was Dave and relaxed. “I thought you were gone.”

“Well technically, I am.”

“Entity above!” another voice said from behind him. Was that Roxy? The culprit emerged and backhanded Dave on the arm. “What he meant to say is that he was waiting for you to change to tell you something.”

“Yeah!” Dave paused. “The thing is… Uh…”

Roxy sighed. “There's a way to break the curse, but Dirk is set in his ways.”

“We've told him about it, but since it came from Roxy, he won't believe it,” Dave said. 

Jane could sympathize with that. 

“And the only day to do it is two days from now.”

“How far are we away from Felt?” Jane asked. 

“We’ll be there by tomorrow,” Roxy said. 

Jane had a lot to consider. The fact that Roxy was there to begin with was suspicious enough, and what Dave had said about being “technically gone” was questionable. She had a feeling that they were acting this way because Dirk had made them feel desperate. She had faith in Dirk, but if what they were saying was true, then she needed to trust them. 

Jane took a deep breath with her eyes shut. When she opened them again, she said, “Tell me your plan.”

* * *

Jane cleared away some snow and slept in the hibernating grass while Roxy and Dave dug a hole deep enough for either wolf or man. She woke up from restless dreams to a wolf crying nearby. She roamed to the hole in progress and saw the tops of their heads still, their breaths wafting above them like individual chimneys.

“He's coming,” she reported. 

Dave stopped to look up. Roxy bumped into him as a result. “Are you sure?” he asked. 

“Keep workin’, buddy,” Roxy said, annoyed. 

“As soon as you do your part,” he retorted. 

“Permafrost kills my back!” 

“I'm sure!” Jane interrupted. She looked around, but there was no sign of Dirk yet. 

“Help me out,” Roxy said. Jane offered her hand and pulled her out while Dave pushed her out. 

“Remind me why we’re in the freezing cold part of the country again?” Dave grumbled. 

“Because we are just far enough away from Felt so that if our plan fails, we still have time to stall for another day!” Roxy answered.

Jane figured that the cold made them a bit ornery. She'd be ornery too if she were digging a hole in the snow. She even offered to help, but Roxy insisted because she allegedly “only brought two shovels.” What a load of crock. She could have taken turns. Instead, she focused on putting the gathered brush into a pile next to the hole so they could cover it. 

She heard the howling again, closer this time. She turned to it and saw a black wolf trotting over the closest hill across the pond they were parked next to. She motioned to the others to hide as she beckoned the wolf towards her. In the moonlight, she could see his bright orange eyes, brighter than his normal shade, her hawk-like eyes sharpening her vision. 

What she couldn't see was how thin the ice was. 

Dirk got to about the middle of the pond when the ice broke underneath him. 


	8. 7- Loyalties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I'm raspberrychan/sunset-opal from tumblr! Bisa needed some help today, so I'm posting the latest chapter in her stead. Enjoy! :)

“Dirk!” Jane cried. It took Dave a moment to realize what she was yelling about. He and Roxy had been hiding behind the cart, the trap ready for the wolf. It was covered with wide branches and meager snow, as well as some half-frozen bait at the bottom of the pit.

He stole a glance around the cart’s edge and saw that Jane was walking on the ice.

“Jane, lie down!” Roxy shouted. “The ice is too thin!”

Jane did as she was told as Dave chased after her with the sword and some rope. When he was sure he was on the ice, he shoved the sword through it and tied the end of the rope to it. He took the rest of the rope and carefully made himself flat to crawl over the ice.

Dave got to Jane and said, “Hold this rope and pull me up when I have him!” He tied the rope around his chest and underarms and faced the wolf. He'd only done this once before, and that was with an unconscious person. A writhing wolf is a thousand times more challenging.

“Be careful!” Jane called.

He reached into the water and tried to grab some fur that wasn't close to snapping jaws. He almost recoiled at how cold the water was. “Fuck, that's cold,” he muttered, teeth chattering.

Jane grabbed ahold of his leg. Dave made a few more attempts before lunging decisively at the wolf’s shoulders. A paw came up towards Dave reflexively and he dodged with his head only to get his tunic snagged.

“Gah!” he cried. He scooted closer, unable to keep his grip on Dirk’s thick skin. He unexpectedly lurched back pulled Dave into the water little by little. The ice cracked and gave way, plunging Dave into the ice cold water.

* * *

 Jane let go of his leg, focusing on keeping Dave afloat with the rope. She wrapped it around each of her forearms to keep her grip from slipping.

Dirk thrashed about in the water, both growling and whimpering in the cold. Jane only had an idea of how cold it was when the water splashed her cheeks and hands. She would not let go, no matter how cold she felt, no matter how high the risk for hypothermia would be.

* * *

 Roxy herself held on to the sword as an anchor. She tried to shut out Dave groaning and grunting as he tried to lift the wolf out of the water over and over, sometimes getting scratched and strong jaws snapping at him. She tried not to blame herself for this stupid, stupid plan! She should have brought that mattress if she was gonna fail this mission and give Dave hypothermia.

Finally, they succeeded, after five full minutes in the water.

“Pull!” Dave cried, trying to pull himself up. Jane lifted him out of the water, and quickly walked the wet, and presumably very cold Dirk across the ice and to their pit. Roxy began pulling. She heard Dirk yelp; she assumed he activated the trap. She was soon joined by Jane in the effort to get Dave to safety. They pulled him all the way to shore, practically dead weight. He had passed out.

“The pit?” Roxy suggested.

“Yeah,” Jane agreed. “Dirk will be exhausted after attempting to escape.”

Roxy raised an eyebrow. She gulped and decided to trust Jane on that.

“Did you bring any furs?” Jane asked.

Roxy didn’t bring the mattress, but she _had_ brought a few blankets because of the cold. “I have some blankets.”

“Let’s get in the pit.”

Roxy didn’t argue. She lifted Dave by his arm and draped him over her shoulder as Jane got into the pit first to calm the agitated wolf. He didn’t snap at her and laid down with her in a huddle. Jane signaled them to enter. Roxy gently lowered Dave into the hole into Jane’s awaiting arms. Roxy ran for the blankets as Jane quickly removed his tunic and wrapped him up. They all huddled in the pit under the layers of blankets.

* * *

 Dave awoke to soft snoring around him. He couldn’t see much in the darkness and could only assume he was in the hole because of the dirt walls. He found himself wrapped in a blanket and not much else. He felt around and came into contact with a very furry (and warm) coat. His eyes adjusted to the low light and he jerked back when he saw the wolf staring right at him. He’d never been that close to a wolf before, especially not Dirk. He just noticed the color of his eyes, a brighter version of the actual man’s eyes. Dave suddenly remembered that sometimes wild dogs sleep with one eye open. He couldn’t remember where he heard it, though.

Dave slowly got out from under the blankets and found his clothes. They were dry, but not warm enough. He decided to get out of the hole and look for clothes in the cart. He found some and donned them. He got out to see Jacob standing over the hole like a sentry.

Carefully, he patted the horse’s neck and glanced at the horizon. The sky was beginning to lighten up.

“Entity, that was a long night,” he muttered. “This plan you told Roxy had better work.” Silence. “Not that I don’t have faith it’ll work.” More silence. “Man, this silence sure is deafening.”

“Shh,” someone from the hole said. He looked down and saw Jane stroking Dirk’s fur.

“Sorry,” he whispered at her. She didn’t respond. Dave turned his attention back to the distance. “If-slash-when the plan works, what’s gonna happen?” He let the question be rhetorical and watched the sun come up.

* * *

 Dirk wasn’t cold anymore. In fact, the stroking that the woman was giving him felt very warm and soothing. He never liked swimming. He avoided it when he could. He should have sensed it was ice.

The woman suddenly stopped. He opened his other eye and perked up slightly. The woman started to get worried for some reason. He didn’t like it. He wanted to get up and nudge her, but was too exhausted from the night before. All he could do was watch.

Then he felt the change happening. He couldn’t describe it.

He felt his fur dissipate and thin into hair. His arms and legs elongated and broadened, but not painlessly. Every time he was used to it, and every time, he had forgotten it. The transformation was instant, but felt like forever.

The woman, on the other hand, seemed to glow in the orange light surrounding them. There was stirring in his chest at the sight. She reached out to his face slowly, and he reached back with an unfamiliar limb.

He had almost remembered her name when he blinked and saw a hawk in her place.

Ladyhawke wasted no time flying out of the hole. Dirk scrambled up from his sleeping position, trying to catch her before it was too late.

He yelled something incoherently into the sunrise, clenching his fists into the dead grass and dirt. Slumped against the dirt wall, he heard a voice he thought he'd forgotten.

“That is the saddest fucking thing I've ever seen.”

* * *

 Unintentionally, Dave sniffled. He was a grown man. Kind of. He was twenty. That counted. He wasn't allowed to cry. He let some tears fall anyway. He'd probably deny it later.

Jane had disappeared into the sky, and Dirk had gone back into the hole to get dressed. He turned to the cart out of respect.

“You,” Dirk said. Dave stiffened. “You have some explaining to do.”

Dave shrugged, the action hurting a lot more than he anticipated. The incident last night really did him in. He had almost forgotten the feeling of thousands of pins under his skin from being in the cold water for too long.

“I swear, if you got her to turn against me, you're going to be sorry.” He turned to see Dirk now out of the pit and stalking towards him. “I'll make you wish you were back in the prisons of Felt.”

“Hey, nobody's trying to turn anyone against anyone. We're just trying to help.”

Dirk grabbed the front of Dave’s tunic. “You're not helping by stalling me.”

“Hey!” Roxy shouted, climbing out of the hole. She clambered up clumsily and got to her feet. “Before you go do that thing that might fuck up both of your lives, listen!”

Dirk did not listen. He threw Dave to the ground instead. He heard a rip and felt cold air on his chest. Still sore from saving that ungrateful prick’s life, he didn’t bother getting back up.

Dirk halted at the sight. Dave looked down to confirm that the scabs on his chest from the wolf’s raking claw marks were showing.

“What is that?” he asked, pointing accusingly.

“Those are from when he saved your life last night,” Roxy seethed. She stood by Dave, sort of defending him. Could she take on Dirk? Probably, Dave thought. She'd probably die though.

Dirk frowned even deeper.

“You fell in the ice and he saved your ass from freezing to death.” She crossed her arms.

Dirk looked back and forth between Dave and Roxy for a moment. Finally, he relaxed, as did Dave.

“Sorry,” he said, offering a hand to Dave. He took it and he was carefully lifted to his feet. Roxy aided him in keeping his balance. Dirk glanced to the cart and let out a small chuckle, again somehow without even smiling. “Was that cage meant for me?”

“Well...” Roxy said, trailing off.

Dave figured it was his turn to explain. “We were gonna sneak us into the city by putting you in a cage because technically, you’re the most noticeable one out of all of us. Being the captain of the guard and all.”

Dirk nodded subtly, seeming to agree.

“Well,” he stated, “it’s not a bad start, but that cage wouldn’t hold the wolf for very long.” He slapped Dave’s back. “Let me tell you about caging a wolf.”

* * *

 It took Jane all she had not to be in the back of the cart with Dirk. There wasn’t any room with Dave back there as well. The wolf was undoubtedly agitated back there, and it put her on edge to sit there and not comfort him. Roxy had scouted ahead into the city earlier that night and saw wanted signs for the immediate arrests of Dirk and Dave as individuals. There was nothing that indicated that they were together or they were travelling in a group. Two women could easily slip in with a merchant’s cart and some fake papers.

They covered the cage with the meager furs they had, much to Roxy’s chagrin. She complained about the hard seats for about a minute before scowling into the distance for the rest of the trip. They had gotten in fairly easily, the guards mainly harassing individual travellers wearing clothes that obscured too much of their faces.

They took the long way through the city to the main cathedral and moat where Dave said he escaped from the prison. They slowed down to a crawl while he jumped out.

Their goal next was to infiltrate the small homeless community living inside the walls of the church. Roxy had said that the religious society accepted very few people, usually only those that had existing talent or skills of worth. It churned Jane’s stomach to hear of such corruption.

Roxy had another plan.

They veered away from the gates of the church and for an hour, they rearranged the back of the cart, removing the furs and revealing the cage. They transferred them to the front and covered the cart again. They must have waited for hours before the guards finally changed shifts. Another minute later, until the previous guards were out of sight, they approached the gates. Roxy had reassured Jane that this would ensure they wouldn’t be recognized. Jane trusted her on that.

* * *

 “Entity, I know I vowed never to return here, I might have lied to myself,” Dave muttered. The women took the wolf just moments ago, and here he was, about to submerge himself into the cold water. “This shit infested water was warmer last week what the f—!” He sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Entity please allow me some words of cussery.”

* * *

 After the uncomfortable experience with the guards at the gate, the women tried to shake off the lustful stares by finding somewhere to sleep for the night. Since Roxy knew the place inside and out, she decided where.

It ended up being a stable. Roxy promised Jane that it would be the last time she would stay in one.

They settled Mutie and Jacob into stalls and set up camp of their own. They had three hours until the sun rose, and two after that until mass started, given that the Religious Overlord started on time for once. She'd gone to mass regularly until that despicable man started coming on to her. After that, she made sure he could not see her in the audience.

Her party had planned to kill Caliborn before mass started.

“Nervous?” Roxy asked. She was sitting in a pile of hay by the stable doors, where the cart awaited them just outside. The cage was still in it.

“Sick with worry,” Jane admitted. She sat across from her friend, crossing her legs. “You?”

“Entity tells me that tomorrow's the day.” Roxy had a lot of faith in this plan. “But if Dirk and Dave don't follow through, then Entity will find another way.” She smiled.

Jane sighed into a smile as well, proud of the ex-nun. “I'm sure they will.” She thought of how she and Dirk had been going through this for four years and thirteen days, and how utterly _long_ that had been. She couldn't stand another day of living half of a life, without Dirk on top of that. She longed to see the sun, feel it on her skin, turn her paleness into the tan it was before. She wished for the same with Dirk; to see him, feel him in her embrace, and she didn't care if she never travelled around the country again.

“We’d better get some rest. The bells will signal the sunrise.”

Jane couldn't help but agree.

 


	9. 8- Devotees

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DAAAAHHHHHH I was mulling over this ending for WEEKS, and I believe this is the best way to end it. I hate writing endings.  
> Thanks for reading!   
> Art is by raspberrychan / sunset-opal on Tumblr!

Four years, thirteen days.

Dirk awoke in the cage he entered, as expected. Also as expected, Roxy awaited with his armor on display in the stable. He released the deadbolt and got out. 

“Ladyhawke?” he asked her. 

Roxy shook her head. For an instant, it looked as if her faith had been, too. 

Dirk quietly resumed donning his armor. He was ready for a fight. The religious overlord undoubtedly had an entourage protecting him during mass, especially with two high-risk fugitives on the loose. Dirk thought long and hard about what he was going to do if the curse wasn't broken by the time mass started. 

Roxy looked very disappointed in the day so far. 

“Roxy.”

“Yeah?”

He gritted his teeth. “I need to ask you a favor.”

He didn't want to, but she had earned his trust just enough for him to ask the world of her.

* * *

Dave spent the last few hours just finding his way in the dark sewers. He knew he was back in the main chapel when the sun rose, the light filtering through the grates.

This time, he wanted to go through them. He waited until there were a considerable amount of people first so he could slip in unnoticed.

* * *

“You want me to  _ what?! _ ” Roxy cried. They looked around and saw that no one had heard them. Roxy shook her head. “No. I won’t do it.”

“Look, when those bells toll, it means I have failed,” Dirk said gravely. Roxy didn’t want to admit it, but he was right.

He turned from her and ripped a piece of his damned cape and tied it over Ladyhawke’s face, including her beak. He then handed the bird over to Roxy. 

He looked her dead in the eyes and said, “I can’t curse her to a half life if I die.” He took a longing look at the defenseless hawk once more. “Please promise me you will do this for me.”

With an uncontrollable sniffle, Roxy agreed.

* * *

Dave didn’t find it too difficult to sneak in. The part of the room in which he emerged was far enough in the back of the cathedral that not even guards would notice. He had been inside this cathedral only a handful of times as an orphan child, but one thing he did remember was a side chamber where they kept extra robes. He found the room and put on the uncomplicated clothing. He inched to the door little by little until the religious overlord came in.

* * *

Religious Overlord Caliborn felt confident that morning. Perhaps as confident as his first mass. Which was not very confident at all. He did not feel entirely confident, but a smidgen of confidence. He felt some confidence.

He imagined that the hunter found that traitor of a guardsman and killed him for his pelt. He had heard that ragers often spend time with their game after.  _ Sinful _ time. It sickened the overlord to imagine such things.

The rager should have at least sent word.

Captain Eridan Ampora had reported no sign of his duty either, so Caliborn insisted he return to Felt and attend mass. Perhaps paying some homage to Entity would clear all of their thoughts. 

The night before, Caliborn had sent for a soothsayer. The foolish girl had told him that some kind of event would happen this day that would spell his doom; either that, or the fortune of someone else. He would have her dealt with at sundown as an enemy of the religious society.

He nodded to Eridan as he stood by the altar. Eridan nodded back and resumed his post.

Caliborn faced his audience and began the service.

Dirk had carried the armor for the past four years and thirteen days, waiting for this day. Since he and Roxy worked out a compromise the previous day, he couldn’t say he was completely assured that this would work. She said that the curse would be broken today, that Entity had shown it, and they would be free.

“A day without a night, a night without a day,” Dirk said to himself as he left the stable.

He looked up at the sky.

“Looks normal to me,” he muttered to no one in particular. He hoped Entity would hear, because another part of him said that he should have waited. That part was small, smaller than a voice, and almost as small as a feeling. 

He took a breath and rode Jacob straight to the gates of the cathedral.

* * *

Dave didn’t forget to bring his lock-picking tools. He made sure not to lose them in the sewers by tying them around his neck. It looked very manly. He got them out from under his tunic as carefully as he could, without clinking them together or dropping them.

Of course, what did happen but his still-damp underclothes making them stick to his chest and when he yanked them away softly, the thin metal tools hit the door. He immediately recoiled and hid himself with the pure white robe.

He looked at the guards around him and saw one walking towards him, making bridled eye contact.

Dave turned back to his job, his cover blown. He needed to do this qui-

The padlock was advanced, which required more than one tumbler to unlock.

He silently thanked entity that he had just enough for the job.

But not for the fact that he didn’t have a lot of time to do it.

* * *

Dirk didn’t need to fight through layers of guards to reach his enemy. The ones that Ampora foolishly chose had no quarrel with Dirk and let him through. Apparently, their loyalty to current captain of the guard was as thin as the asinine charges against the ex-captain of the guard. He recognized them all and continued on his way.

One person he expected to find was Eridan himself. Since he didn’t by the time he got to the cathedral doors, he figured that the religious overlord kept his friends close.

Sword in hand, Dirk would make sure that Caliborn will keep his enemy even closer.

* * *

Dave had made short work of the lock, thankfully. He tried the doors but they still did not open. He looked up to see a sliding lock near the top of the massive double-doors. He climbed up as the guard neared him. He had just gotten the lock undone when the doors swung open.

_ Impeccable timing, _ Dave thought as he clung to the top for dear life.

The guard groaned as a massive black horse rode by, sporting a knight in black armor. It was Dirk. The door on the other side must have hit the guard square.

What Dave would have given to see that take place.

He peered over the door to look at the people in the cathedral, who all turned to look at the intruder.

* * *

Caliborn felt his eye twitch. He hadn’t even started his sermon before the doors busted open. Only one person had the audacity to interrupt.

He turned to see that familiar black armor on that familiar black horse ride down the middle aisle straight for him.

* * *

The people wisely started to flee at that point. There was no need to have unnecessary bloodshed. They waited until Dirk had passed before taking off from their pews. Dirk only had one target, but none of the people running knew that.

In an hour, none of that would matter. It would either end well, or he would die.

He heard something from above. On his left, he saw a guard aiming a crossbow at him. On his right, he saw another guard about to ring the bells. He shot the crossbow first, then the one at the bell rope. He instantly regretted not aiming for the rope instead.

Once the people had cleared, Dirk made his announcement.

“You’re going to die today, Overlord Caliborn.”

Caliborn simply laughed in response. He cut himself off and gestured Eridan Ampora to go forth. It took all Dirk had not to roll his eyes in annoyance. He didn’t want to waste his strength on the moron, but it must be done.

* * *

Roxy didn’t want to do it. She held the knife in a tight fist at her side, waiting for those cursed bells to toll. He told her that if he failed, to kill Ladyhawke. To _kill_ _Jane_.

An hour passed since he left and the sunny day had turned to clouds, dampening her resolve once again. She threw the knife out the window and put the bird down in the hay carefully. She didn’t want to startle Jane too much when her strongest sense was hindered. 

Roxy back up against the wall behind her next to the window and slid down to the ground. Clutching her knees, and buried her face in them and wept.

“Why are you crying?”

“I’m crying because I can’t do what Dirk needs me to do,” she mumbled. She wanted to curl up and die, but-

“Oh, no.” She felt a hand on her shoulder.

Roxy looked up and could not believe her eyes. 

“I do have one question,” Jane said. “How am I here during daylight hours?”

Roxy practically screeched with happiness. “B-but!” She scampered up and to the window. “An eclipse?” She paused. Her faith in Entity hadn’t failed her. She smiled and laughed. “An eclipse! A fuckin’ eclipse!” She whooped and then suddenly stopped to face a very confused Jane. She grabbed her by the shoulders and said, “You have to go to Dirk.”

“What?” Jane breathed.

“He’s gone to kill Caliborn. He said if the bells ring that he failed and to kill you, but now I don’t have to and you need to go!”

“What?!”

Roxy determined that there was no time to lose and took Jane’s hand. It’d be quicker if she was led instead of telling her what to do.

Roxy did her best to lead Jane through the shortcuts she knew about, avoiding guards and such along the way. Thankfully, the servants were bored enough not to care.

* * *

Jane could hardly believe what was happening. She was finally human during the day. She felt that they weren’t out of the woods yet, however. She still had perfect vision. Who knew how long the eclipse would last?

* * *

Eridan Ampora attack with such ferocity, it teetered on desperation. Dirk saw this and countered every move. When the captain was down, another soldier replaced him. Dirk saw another archer out of the corner of his eye and flung his only dagger between his eyes. The soldier fell backward and shot his arrow at the stained glass ceiling, shattering it.

Through the sunlight, he saw clouds covering the sun. Still, it was darker than it should have been at this hour. It was nearly high noon and the sky was dark as sunset.

He glanced around him at the other soldiers, who simply stared at the battle until they were ordered to fight. They, like Dirk, had lost respect for the current captain of the guard. He only imagined that their loyalty still lied with him. Their best option was to do nothing. The worst that could happen was the death of the intruder and being reprimanded for insubordination, which meant twenty lashes and a week without pay. They knew that facing Dirk would mean death.

Eridan called on two guards that Dirk did not know and flanked him. All three attacked at the same time, but Dirk was able to fend them off by finding a very small opening between the two guards and rounding behind one to kick him into the other. As soon as he did, Eridan’s sword came down on the kicked guard and nearly sliced the man’s neck. He groaned with pain as he laid bleeding on the ground. The other guard dragged him away as Eridan attacked again. This time, Dirk lost his grip on the sword and it was sent flying into the pews. 

“I guess you’re just not cut out for the job, captain,” Eridan sneered, his sword in Dirk’s face. 

Dirk slapped the sword upward and hit Eridan’s jaw with the heel of his hand. As he staggered back, Dirk turned around to get his sword. He saw Dave sliding it towards him. He didn’t have time to commend the thief and turned around just in time to thrust the sword into Eridan’s charging body. He gurgled and fell forth, dropping the sword beside him. Dirk slid out and let the body fall haphazardly to the ground. He wiped the blood on his armor as he approached Caliborn. 

“Protect me!” Caliborn commanded. 

One by one, Dirk fell every soldier coming at him until he reached the altar, where the religious overlord had sunk into a shivering mess. 

“This is for that damn curse,” Dirk said. He raised his sword.

Suddenly, the bells started to ring. Dirk drew in a breath. There were soldiers loyal to whoever held the crown, after all. He looked up and saw an eclipse through the broken window. 

Realization hit him like a hammer to the skull. “A day without a night, a night without a day.” He stepped away from the altar. Jane didn’t need to die. Roxy was right. Entity had told her what to do and she did it. Dirk didn’t listen. He realized too late that he was too stubborn to figure out what was real and what wasn’t.

“Wait,” he whispered. He then shouted, “Roxy, wait!” He started to run away from Caliborn, away from all of it. He did not care if his mission failed or not. If what he realized was truth, then he had not time to lose. He needed to get back to that stable.

The bells did not wait. They tolled and tolled. They tolled until Dirk got sick of them and launched another dagger at the soldier ringing them, hitting him square in the chest.

He was almost to the exit when he saw her, standing in front of him in the doorway.

She was like an angel, and she was standing mere feet from him.

* * *

Dave felt he could cut through the atmosphere with a knife. The lovebirds were in their own little bubble, and they reached out for each other to touch. When they did, they didn’t fall into an embrace just yet. Jane took one of Dirk’s hands and walked slowly to the altar. Every single soldier stared at them as they passed.

“Did they touch?” Roxy asked quietly. The sudden voice startled Dave, and he flinched at the sound of her voice. 

“Yeah,” he answered.

“Then it is done.” He looked to see Roxy smiling at them. 

Dave nodded. He turned his attention back to the scene unfolding.

Jane stepped up to the cowering overlord and stood over him for a moment. She spoke not a word. Then she took a breath and reared a fist back and clocked him. 

It took all Dave had not to cheer her on.

She then turned away from him, towards Dirk. She was smiling. Dave thought it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. What he didn’t see was when Caliborn had gotten up from his crouched position. He had taken his staff and aimed it at Jane’s retreating form. Dave was too far away to do anything. All he could do was yell, “Jane!”

Dirk was faster.

He took up his sword and flung it towards Caliborn. It pierced through his neck and he went down, desperately clutching at the sword as he writhed on the cobblestone. His moans were sickening and Dave had to look away. Finally, the sounds died down and he looked back up to see Jane still frozen where she stood. If Dave remembered correctly, the sword had flown past her. She shook it off and help Dirk close the distance between them. Their embrace was pure and the kiss longing. Dave was happy for them. He turned to Roxy and gestured for them to leave. She nodded gaily and they both turned to leave.

* * *

“You two,” Dirk said. Dave and Roxy slowly turned to the happy couple. “Thank you. Seriously. For everything.”

Roxy winked and saluted. “Anytime, Dirkenstein!” 

“Later,” Dave said, giving a small wave from his first two fingers. Together, they walked out of the cathedral. 

Dirk and Jane faced each other, hands clasped and intertwined. She squinted at his face. 

“I know for sure the curse was broken,” she said. 

“Why’s that?” he asked. 

“I can't see your cynical, stony face,” she answered, “Are you even frowning?”

“Come on, you're not  _ that _ blind. And no, to answer your ridiculous grammatically odd question, I am not frowning. I'm smiling.”

Jane smiled. “Why are you smiling?”

“Because I'm happy.”

“And why are you happy?”

They slowly leaned closer together during the exchange, painfully aware that they have been waiting four years and thirteen days to even speak again. 

“Because I love you,” he whispered. 

“I love you, too,” she whispered back. 

Jane started to laugh first, shortly followed by Dirk, who then picked her up by her waist and lifted her up to his chest. She held onto the armor on his shoulders, both laughing as he swung them around and around.

* * *

“So are you headed to Alternirome now?” Roxy asked.

Dave shrugged. “I did promise.”

She elbowed him playfully. “Can’t break a promise now, can we?”

“Yeah I’m a thief, not a liar.”

“Ya better put the thieving days behind you, capiche?”

“Yeah, I know.” He paused. “You think they’re happy without us?”

“Ecstatic.”

“Good. They deserve to be happy.”

“Yeah.”

They got to the stable and readied the cart to go. They got out of Felt Dave went to Alternirome and became a holy man, and Roxy to her castle in the hills.

Presumably.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there may or may not be a sequel/epilogue *shrugs*  
> don't expect it anytime soon though  
> I still haven't given it a plot yet


End file.
